SmallBizResource Blog -- SmallBizResource

A Trio of New Social Networks for Small Businesses

Posted by Gayle Kesten Monday, Jun 30, 2008, 04:49 PM ET

Another day, another social network. And for good reason.

While they come in different forms--I'm going to tell you about three new offerings--you're not going to find an easier way to market your business than by joining (at least) one. Oh, and this, from Small BusinessTrends: "If you want to be in business in the next 20 years, you’d better be using the tools that 20-year-olds are using to decide who to buy from."

Some 20-somethings are even creating them. Earlier today I spoke to Mike Librizzi, who launched Briz.com three months ago with the intent of helping small businesses better connect on a local basis with potential partners, suppliers and, of course, customers. They become your BrizBuds. "Local search is the way everything is going," said Librizzi, who left a finance position at Morgan Stanley, gave up his Manhattan apartment and moved back in with his folks to get Briz off the ground.

Briz offers an easy, free way for you to set up an online presence if you don't already have one. (Make no mistake: A scary amount of small businesses are without an online presence.) I gave the site a whirl and in just a few minutes created my own semi-barebones page that includes my contact info as well as nearby towns I want to target. The site also allows you to post news and coupons to a Marketplace and, in Digg fashion, the more votes, or BrizPoints, you get, the higher your information will appear.

Then there's the new Dotster Connect from domain-name registrar Dotster, which developed a multilayered platform for small businesses to create their own networks and conduct e-commerce. Doing so involves a monthly fee starting around $199, depending on such factors as number of users and the level of network customization you desire. "I think SMBs are ready for one step above the free sites," Ross Johnston, Dotster's VP of new business development, told me. "It's a business expense that comes back to them in a positive ROI."

Johnston boiled social networking's benefits down to three: brand-building (connecting with customers builds loyalty), revenue-building (learning what your customers want and then providing it) and cost-cutting (think marketing and support). Of note, Dotster Connect can also be used internally with your own employees for such applications as online training. "This platform allows for that level of customization," Johnston said.

Finally, I didn't have a personal conversation with the brains behind the Visa Business Network, but as of last Friday I'm a member of this Facebook group geared for us small fries. From AdWeek: "The idea behind the network is to let small business owners share tips and ideas as well as to provide tools to help businesses better target customers."

Yes, you have to be a Facebook member to join. And, no, you don't need to have a Visa credit card. As an incentive to join, Visa is giving away $100 in Facebook ad credits to the first 20,000 small businesses that download the application. According to an article on WebGuild, "Facebook hopes that if the businesses receiving the ad credits are impressed enough with the results they will continue marketing on the site."

My ad credits are sitting in my e-mail, though you need to have a Web page to direct customers, too.

And that leads me to this confession: I think my Briz page is further along than my personal Web page.

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