Networking Communities

Adland Pro - http://www.adlandpro.com

Delicious - http://delicious.com

Ecademy - http://www.ecademy.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com

Friendster - http://www.friendster.com

HoverSpot - http://www.hoverspot.com

Knowmentum - http://www.itsnotwhatyouknow.com

Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com

Max In Common - http://www.maxincommon.com

MeetUp - http://www.meetup.com

MySpace - http://www.meetup.com

Ning - http://www.ning.com

Orkut - http://www.orkut.com

Plaxo - https://www.plaxo.com

Ryze - http://www.ryze.com

TagWorld - http://www.tagworld.com

Tribe - http://tribe.net

Twitter - http://twitter.com

Wooxie - https://www.wooxie.com

Four Barriers to Effective Communication

by Timothy I. Thomas

Why does communication so often go wrong? Here are the top four reasons for breakdowns in communication...

Read article here
http://www.impactarticles.com/artman/publish/Coaching_12/Four_Barriers_to_Effective_Communication.shtml

Women Business Owners (Membership)

There are many perks and advantages of having a paid membership with the WBO and the opportunity to network with thousands of women, from diversified work fields all over the world. Being apart of such a wonderful organization for the past 5 years has been essential to the growth of my business!

Please drop by and visit the WBO site when you can and for those interested in joining as a new member, you can view the details re membership here.

Enjoy and happy networking!

7 Questions to Ask Before Signing Up for Social Media Training

by Larry Brauner

Another social media university, social media academy, guru or training program surfaces online nearly every day. Do we need these social media training programs? Are they worth our time and expense?

Read article here
http://online-social-networking.com/7-questions-to-ask-before-signing-up-for-social-media-training

Top Tips for Attending Networking Events

"Tomorrow I will be attending the Texas Conference for Women; it is the state’s premier networking, educational and job fair event for women. For me this event is a fantastic opportunity to network with like minded individuals....In honor of tomorrow’s event, I am sharing my top networking tips for events, expos, conferences and career fairs."

Read tips here
http://www.theworkathomewoman.com/2009/11/top-tips-for-attending-networking-events/comment-page-1/#comment-3402

Networking at Conferences

by Liz Lynch

"...Not only do you get a chance to hear about new trends and breakthrough ideas that can help your business or career, but you also get a chance to meet other folks who are highly interested in the same thing and willing to make the investment to attend."

Read Part 1 here
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/networking-at-conferences-part-1



"...Though numbers may be down this year due to the economy, according to Meetings & Conventions magazine, more than 27 million people attend conferences, trade shows, and conventions each year. And the main reason they go is to network."

Read Part 2 here
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/networking-at-conferences-%e2%80%93-part-2


"....networking in person is a vital component of every networking plan. And despite the growing popularity of online networking, I don’t believe face-to-face networking will ever go away.....Even people who network online all the time still want to see each other in person!"

Read Part 3 here
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/networking-at-conferences-%e2%80%93-part-3

Building Relationships Organically

by Liz Lynch

When we don’t need anything and simply interact with the people around us—with the other students in our classroom, the other players on our sports team, the other professionals in our office, our neighbors next door—we build relationships organically. Proximity leads to conversation and shared experiences, which brings us closer and leads to more conversation and shared experiences. Over time strong bonds form, without force or fakery.

Read part 1 here
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/building-relationships-organically-part-1

Read part 2 here
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/building-relationships-organically-part-2

Taking the Guesswork Out of Network Marketing

by Hilton Johnson, The MLM Coach™

Network marketing is a numbers business. The more people you see and talk to, the more money you make. And the quality of the people you see and the quality of what you say to them will make you even more money.

Read article here
http://www.choosetoprosper.com/hpn_guesswork.html

Exploring Business Networking

With the dawn of globalization and international business opportunities, “Business Networking” is the latest buzz word among the business communities. The “Business Networking” relies on the principle of sharing expertise, knowledge, skills, services and profits by forming a group of interrelated and dependant commercial group.

Read article post
http://www.exforsys.com/career-center/business-networking/exploring-business-networking.html

Beware of Social Network Cyber-Crime, Warns FBI

Posted by Patrick Avery

Those who have a social networking account -- take note. The FBI is warning users of the increase in social network account hijackings, IT Business Edge contributor Ralph DeFrangesco writes in a recent post. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cyber-criminals have been hijacking accounts and sending out e-mail saying they are in legal or medical distress overseas and they need your help...

Read his post here
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/kn/blog/beware-of-social-network-cyber-crime-warns-fbi/?cs=36395#

7 Steps For Networking With A-Listers Fast (w/Free Workbook)

[Very Long Post/Article]

Posted by Dave Navarro

Read article and download workbook here
http://www.thelaunchcoach.com/workbooktwo

Real (Old) School Networking

by Will Sloan

...We were interfacing, creating a connection and sending data back and forth. This is social networking in its original form (before Al Gore invented the Internet); two people, face to face, sharing ideas and building each other up. I’ll be able to take what I experienced this evening and use it for my own personal development.

Read his post here
http://www.willsloanonline.com/2009/09/real-social-networking

Top 10 Networking Tips

by Zita Gustin

Read her tips here
http://www.top10networkingtips.com

Sign up for The Networking Minute at
zitagustin@gmail.com

View her site here
http://www.thesavvynetworker.com

Five Quick Tips For Networking Success

by Cynthia Good

Successful networking is about more than collecting business cards and meeting the right people for your own benefit. It’s also about seizing opportunities to help others – whether it’s making a job referral or just linking two clients with mutual interests.

Read article here
http://www.cnbc.com/id/22302521

7 Tips for Successful Business Networking

by Stephanie Speisman

Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust & relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.

Read tips here
http://www.businessknowhow.com/tips/networking.htm

What is Positive Networking

by Gayle Hallgren co-author Work The Pond!

Positive Networking is not all about you. It’s discovering what you can do for someone else. While there is a place for transactional networking, the majority of networking opportunities are not about closing a sale but opening a relationship.

Read more here
http://www.bcjobs.ca/re/career-centre/career-tools/networking-tips/what-is-positive-networking

Business Events & Networking 101

How to Organize Effective & Succesful Events, Business Networking Expos & Mixers

by Cesar Plata, Founder infoBayArea.com

Since 1998, we have organized hundreds of events (2-4 events per month): monthly business networking mixers, dinner socials, and the very well-attended Silicon Valley Business Expos. We are sharing lessons learned so the next event you plan may be more effective, successful and fun. Join us at our events and see for yourself!

Read article here
http://www.muybueno.net/articles/networking101.html

Networking etiquette: respecting your professional contacts

by Robert Half International

A professional network is indispensable when you’re looking for a job. Your contacts can suggest promising leads or put you in touch with firms that are hiring. They may provide you with first-hand information about a company or give you the name of a staff member they know. In some cases, someone in your network might even be able to help set up a meeting with a hiring manager. At the very least, your contacts can provide encouragement.

Read article here
http://www.bcjobs.ca/re/career-advice/re/career-centre/career-tools/networking-tips/networking-etiquette-respecting-your-professional-contacts

6 Tips for Creating “Sticky” Social Relationships

by Brett Borders

Every day, around 30 new people follow me on Twitter. Then around the exact same number of people usually unfollow me. They’re apparently upset that I haven’t blindly reciprocated their “friendship,” despite the fact that they’ve never even said “hi” or interacted with me. They’re so obsessed with numbers games… that they don’t seem to understand the most basic social networking principle, where you have to be sociable and personally interact with people before you win their trust and friendship.

Read more of the article here
http://socialmediarockstar.com/5-tips-for-creating-sticky-social-relationships

The Smart Networking Blog

[I am passing this on as she has some good stuff posted on networking, branding, etc]

Liz Lynch – The Smart Networking Blog

http://blog.networkingexcellence.com/personal-branding-blog

The Step - By - Step Networking Kit (Free)

[Scroll down to underneath site head banner to find sign up. Course/Kit sent thru email.]

Free Guerrilla Networking Mini-Course and be on your way to being a Networking Professional.

Read more here
http://www.networklikeapro.com

10 Simple Steps to More Customers with Better Networking

by Kevin Stirtz

Networking is a great way to meet people in a "non-selling" setting. So, don't sell. Meet and greet. Ask people about their businesses. Be friendly and relaxed. Enjoy yourself. Get to know people. Above all, do not sell.

http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/better-networking.htm

Networking For Business (How to Work a Room)

by Robert C. Brenner, MSEE, MSSM
©1997-2005 Brenner Information Group

Networking. Fishing for contacts. Mining for prospects. Networking is critical to your business success. In every survey my company has conducted over the past five years, the best source of new business was found to be "word of mouth." And the most successful way to accomplish this is by personal contact--talking up your company, talking to other professionals who may need your services--networking yourself and your business.

Read article here
http://www.brennerbooks.com/article1a.html

Online Social Networking

by Linda Stacy

Social networking. We’ve done it all our lives; from neighborhood ball games to dinner parties and matchmaking, we’ve introduced our friends to each other. Business colleagues meet for lunch to make connections and hopefully a sale or two. And the unemployed call on their business network in hopes of making a job connection.

Read article here
http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/articles2/social-networking.html

Yahoo Group's World Directory

While browsing about yahoo, I came across this section for networking groups - http://search.yahoo.com/dir?qry

Here are some of the countries I found thru the below search [Updated 1/13/11]:
Directory > Regional > Web Directories > Yahoo! Regional > World Yahoo!s

Argentina (in Spanish) - http://ar.groups.yahoo.com

Brazil (in Spanish) - http://br.groups.yahoo.com

Deutschland (in German)- http://de.groups.yahoo.com

France (in French)- http://fr.groups.yahoo.com

Hong Kong - http://hk.groups.yahoo.com

Italy (in Italian)- http://it.groups.yahoo.com

Japan (in Japanese)- http://groups.yahoo.co.jp

Mexico - (Spanish) http://mx.groups.yahoo.com

Spanish (in Spanish)- http://espanol.groups.yahoo.com

Taiwan (in Tai)- http://tw.groups.yahoo.com

UK & Ireland - http://uk.groups.yahoo.com

Number of Social Networking Users Has Doubled Since 2007

Posted by Adam Ostrow

Specifically, 55.6 million adults – or just less than 1/3rd of the population – in the US now visit social networks at least monthly, according to a new report from Forrester Research. That’s up from just 15 percent of adults in 2007, and around 18 percent last year.

Read article here
http://mashable.com/2009/07/28/social-networking-users-us

Ways to Avoid Trouble in Networks

A few years back, social networking (SN) was just for kids. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook were used primarily by teenagers and college students to interact with friends. Now as we approach the second decade of the twenty-first century, social networking has grown up and entered the mainstream. Everybody who’s anybody has at least dabbled in it, and the demographics are definitely changing.

Read his 10 Tips here
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=851

Who Uses Social Networks and What Are They Like?

Written by Sarah Perez

A new study by Anderson Analytics looks into the demographics and psychographics of social networking users on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn with a goal of providing marketers with information about users' interests and buying habits as related to their network of choice.

Read first part here
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/who_uses_social_networks_and_what_are_they_like_part_1.php

Read Part 2 here
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1106327111550243678&postID=3299207933059837838

Top 10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs

by Dianne Humphries

Looking for a job? Consider creating your own. There are a number of social resources to help you connect with other entrepreneurs and get your business ideas off the ground.

Here are the top 10 social networks for entrepreneurs. Each helps entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with the guidance, tools and resources they need to setup their company and gain exposure.

Read her list here
http://www.socialmedianation.org/2009/03/top-10-social-networks-for-entrepreneursdianne-humphries

10 Strategies for Getting Results from Joining Professional Associations

I'll be the first to admit that I went a little nuts when I moved to Little Rock in 2003 in terms of going all-out to participate in a variety of professional associations. I had some experience with most of the groups that I visited in other places I had lived, or had clients who had positive experiences with certain groups. I was so eager to become involved again in professional associations that instead of really paying attention to the composition of the group as it existed here locally, I made decisions to join groups based on my past experiences and experiences of clients.

Read article here
http://www.onlinebizcoachingcompany.com/articles/professionalassoc.htm

Online Exposure - Ready to start e-networking?

by Ivan Misner

Ready to start e-networking?...When it comes to online networking, there are several ways to develop your word-of-mouth marketing, but it's important to understand that the foundation of making online networking work for you is the same as with any kind of networking--you've got to develop relationships with trusted business associates.

Read article here
http://www.ryze.com/postdisplay.php?messageid=1494802&confid=1022

What is Network Marketing...

by Philip Harman

...Network Marketing & MLM are the same thing. Today most people refer to it as Network Marketing. Network Marketing is a Business Opportunity. You get an opportunity to start your own business and you need to relate to it as such. Most people who fail in Network Marketing because they do not relate to it as a real business.

Read article here
http://videos4you.com/blog/2009/06/29/what-is-network-marketing-and-how-do-you-find-the-right-one-for-you/

7 Secrets to Effective Networking

by Charlie Cook

Some simple tips and ideas to help you secure solid networking connections and build a referral list. There are also other links in this article that will direct to more resources and materials on this topic.

Read article here
http://www.marketingforsuccess.com/networking-secrets.html

Adventures in Networking...

[Very informative article with alot of great tips and advice]

"Ask Questions First, Shoot Bullets Later"

Posted by PowerNetworkTeam

Power Team networkers give powerful referrals, consistently turning opportunity into business. Real business. I’m not talking about passing a slip of paper with a prospect’s name and the good old “gave them your card, I hope they call you,” cop-out.

Read article here
http://fast180.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/ask-questions-first-shoot-bullets-later/

Elementary Guide to Networking for Business Students

Excerpt...
Why Networking? Benefits associated with networking vary from individual level to organizational level. Impact of individual benefits of networking like job referrals, tertiary referrals (a node in your network introduces you to a node in his network), information gathering about organization, business, profession, college etc are limited to an individual however organizational level benefits like business development, new recruit background checks, recruitments via social media etc have much wider impact especially in the times of recession.

Read Informative Guide here
http://carteblancheleeway.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/elementary-guide-to-networking-for-b-school-whiz-kids/

Professional Networking is All About Guanxi

by The HeadHunter

Guanxi (pronounced “kwan-she”) defined by Wikipedia: “… a personal connection between two people in which one is able to prevail upon another to perform a favor or service, or be prevailed upon… Guanxi can also be used to describe a network of contacts, which an individual can call upon when something needs to be done, and through which he or she can exert influence on behalf of another."

Read article here
http://meettheheadhunter.com/?p=416

Why is Networking Important in Business? Ten Tips to Success

by Heidi Richards Mooney

....In order to know where to begin you must first understand what networking is and why it is important to grow your business. Networking in its purest form is simply talking to people, making connections and developing rapport to grow our circle of influence. Business networking is essentially the same except that our primary objective in business networking is to help us grow our businesses. For most of us, building a network means meeting people we can do business with or who will do business with us, or refer people who will do business with us; our ultimate goals.

Read article here
http://speakingwithspirit.com/why-is-networking-important-in-business-ten-tips-to-success

Networking Top Tips

by Gill Fernley

In summary, forget the sell, sell, sell - take the pressure off yourself by approaching the event as a fun opportunity to meet like-minded people and always remember that you get back what you give.

Read article here
http://www.chamelead.com/article743.html

The Importance of Diversity in Networking

by Ivan Misner

When joining a networking group, it's best to find one with members from various backgrounds. When it comes to business networking, you never know who people know. One of the important keys to being successful at building a powerful personal network is that of diversity.

Read Article here
http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketingideas/networkingcolumnistivanmisner/article68840.html

Reach Out and Touch Someone - Shifting the Burden

by Scott Allen

How social networking sites can help you find advice, drum up business, and hire new employees...

Read article here
http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/scott_allen_on_shifting_the_burden