10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs
May 13, 2008 by
Steven
Filed under
Entrepreneurship
Social networking is obviously very popular online today. Unlike general networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, there are a number of smaller networks that focus on professionals and businesses. These sites can be an excellent place to gain some exposure and to communicate with other entrepreneurs. Here is a quick look at 10 networking sites that should be considered by entrepreneurs.
LinkedIn has quickly become the leading social network that specializes in professionals. Many users have their resume posted on their profile and a growing number of employers are using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool. Entrepreneurs who are not looking for jobs can still use LinkedIn as a great resource for meeting other professionals and gaining some exposure for their own work.
PartnerUp
PartnerUp is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs find joint venture partners, co-founders, executives, and board members. You can either post your opportunity or search the listings placed by other entrepreneurs. There are networking capabilities through forums and an Ask a Question feature.
Konnects
Konnects focuses on professional networking by giving each member their own profile page. You can join communities, get to know other members, and just generally network with other like-minded professionals.
Ryze
Ryze has been around for a while but isn’t as well known as some other networking sites. On Ryze you’ll get your own profile page that can be customized, you can add friends, leave messages for others, and join groups.
Biznik
Biznik’s tagline is “Business networking that doesn’t suck.” Their approach is aimed more at entrepreneurs and business owners than employees looking for a job. There are a number of different communities for major cities in the U.S.
Cofoundr
Cofoundr is a private community for entrepreneurs. It obviously intends to help members find co-founders, as well as to build teams and network with other entrepreneurs.
StartupNation
StartupNation is a community site for entrepreneurs that includes networking aspects. The forums are very active with a wide range of topics being discussed. StartupNation also includes a number of articles relevant to entrepreneurs.
Upspring
Upspring aims to provide businesses with an opportunity to increase exposure and attract more customers. Members can register for free to get a profile page, join groups, and network with others. There are also premium options for a monthly fee.
Fast Pitch
Fast Pitch claims to be the fastest growing social network for professionals. You can set up your own profile page and network with other professionals.
Xing has a large and active community of professionals. You can network in many of the same ways as you can with the other sites listed here.
Which Networks Do You Use?
Are you a member of any of these networks? Are there others that you like?
Great post! I always catch myself trying to remember all of them, but now I will just refer to this post in my bookmarks!
Great stuff.
I’m on LinkedIn and that’s it. The thing is, in order for these sites to grow, you have to invite friends/colleagues to join and there’s no way I’m going to badger mine to join all these different sites. I get annoyed just getting an invite to Plaxo - you’ve got my damn contact info, plug it in yourself.
I will sign up at these sites. Right now I am a member of Start-up nation but have not been active there lately. How do you go about building a social network on these sites? Is there a standard form of etiquette to follow? I don’t want to be the rude newbie bursting in and annoying the members.
Awesome post Steven - and I’m glad you’ve listed them here, because I hadn’t even heard of most of these before.
Like Chip said above, it can be annoying having to get your friends to sign up to all these social networking sites, but in my opinion it can be worth it if you find that 1 incredible contact who you can go on to leverage for many years to come.
Also, it’s important for a work-at-home entrepreneur (like many people are) to have some acquaintances, so it’s important to get on these sites (although obviously not all of them - as this could destroy productivity!)
This is a great list. I would add E.Factor however. http://www.efactor.com
Marion Freijsen, one of the founders of E.Factor describes the site as a place “to connect the entrepreneurial minds - whereever they may be, whichever gender or whichever race - as a group we have Entrepreneurs have SO MUCH POWER. Every Entrepreneur should tap into that - male or female….”
This is what the E.Factor is all about.
These are nice looking sites..I have to say I’ve only signed up for LinkedIn..haven’t tried the others, yet..anyways I will try to sign up also ..^^..thanks a lot for sharing this resource.
Great stuff… I hate to say it but I am a member of a few, but not a participant. And I get out of it what I put into it. Time for me to pick the few and use them well.
Chip,
Yeah, there’s no way I would actively use more than one or two. You just have to pick what works for you.
Carrie,
I can’t speak for most of these sites specifically, but in general you should be safe at any networking site as long as you are genuinely involved. People usually only get bothered when it seems like you’re trying to get something for nothing.
Adnan,
Good point. One good contact could totally make the difference.
Hmm. I agree with Chip. I guess I will try these though! Thank you.
Nice list! LinkedIn is probably the most used by our execs. http://www.jasezone.com is another nice one that we use.
Great post! I currently utilize LinkedIn which is listed in this post. But, the most effective online community for me is Smallerindiana.com. It is an online community for creative minds and business people from the State of Indiana to network both online and offline, contribute to online discussions and get feedback on many subjects.
We just had our live/offline 2,000th member celebration last night-a.k.a. 2,000th Smoosier Fest.
The site was built on a Ning platform for those interested in starting one for their State!
LinkedIn is great. I tried it and I love it. Everyone should give it a try. It is really worth it.
Love your list, but thought it was missing ideablob.com…where entrepreneurs share, compare and grow their ideas.
All of these a re great, but I need something that will keep track of all of the websites I’m a member at! Is there such a thing? If not, does anyone want to create one with me?
Cool resource I was using linkedin but looking at other sites now Many thanks
Thanks for this great article and guide… as recommended by others I’ll will try it…
@Kevin: Being a bit greedy eh? Haha.. Just stick to the top few social network sites and you’re good to go. Anyone would gladly rank the sites?
I tend to prefer Konnects because its more generally and more wide scope. I tends to cluster everyone together, so you’re more likely to meet other professionals from different backgrounds. A very nice list by the way!
yea a rankin would help me choose the site abit. gonna look through it. maybe will rank it after i get some more info on it. kinda new to this but very interested
Hi,
I personally network in StartupNation - it’s has a great forum for entrepreneurs.
I’ve networked in Ryze before, but IMO, it’s not really useful for me - but that’s subjective, I suppose.
Cheers!
That is an impressive list. Thanks for pulling all of these together in one post. This is a bookmark for sure.
@ zohaisx: No, I’m not just talking about social networking sites. Just take a moment to think of every single website you have ever registered at. It should include social networking sites, e-commerce sites, application sites, financial sites, etc etc. Wouldn’t it be great to have one utility that would keep track of all of those and their usernames and passwords??
This is a great list, some I did not even know about
Thanks!
Maria Reyes-McDavis
Hi Kevin, maybe give this a try.
anypassword (dot) com.
Its not web based, but I have used it for years and currently keep track of over a thousand user/passes with it with ease.
Great list. It seems there are a lot of sites to get you in contact with other aspiring entrepeneurs. I think I will sign up and give a few of them a try. I’m not really sure what I’ll get from them yet but I’ll have a good look around
John
Walt,
Great post, I’m on a couple of these, but will definitely be checking out the others.
Doug
I’m very much into Upspring. Good post once again. Helps to bring awareness to these Social Networks. It’s perks are limitless
Brilliant post: so helpful for social marketing, thanks bigtime blogtrepreneur! You rock, solid
nice post.. will look through all the websites that u mention, useful to me…
You’ve given me quite a few new sites to check out. Thank’s for the inputs on each site.
Great list!
You missed my personal favorite: http://www.YoungEntrepreneur.com
It has been great for me over the past couple of years and have already connected with a few new business partners in some online ventures!
You should add it!
I have been invited many times to linkedin, but i haven’t really checked them out. I guess I should lol
PS How can I get that little cloud before the comment link on the blog? Is that Haloscan and Blog template
Thanks for this, it’s nice to have some networks targeted specifically for business. My first and last social network experience was Facebook, and I got so sick of people sending me invites for groups I had no interest in or sending me widgets that I wasn’t sure what to do with that I had almost given up on social networking. I’ll be sure to give these a try.
I actually find Konnects the most useful for business. It focuses on my current business instead of just my resume. Also, there are many more features, joining different communities that match my industry and interests is very convenient when trying to find new clients and business partners.
I noticed you didn’t list PLAXO. That is probably one of the most active in the Indy Business community. With more of a grownup FACEBOOK feel.
I use LinkedIN for introductions and referrals, but the site I spend the most time on is http://www.SmallerIndiana.com . Built on a Ning platform, it contains the most interesting conversations and connections to new information.
Hi I work at Konnects and I just wanted to comment and say thanks for including us on your list! We have just made some brand new enhancements to our site, so come and take a look to see what we have changed and how we are constantly trying to make your networking experience the best on our site.
http://www.konnects.com
I’ve been on StartupNation and GoBig, but they never really captured my attention or interest for long.
I am active on LinkedIn. I think it’s essential.
The only problem is that it’s a bit too big. It includes all kinds of people from all kinds of places-not just entrepreneurs-not just bloggers-not just people who speak English-not just people who are taking it seriously.
The above link is awesome for entrepreneurs of all ages.
Who would of thought their would be so many social network sites, thanks for showcasing some of them!
I have just had a look at Smaller Indiana and i love the concept of a state-focused social networking site. It looks like a marvelous way to connect the local community, businesses and professionals.
Great post. Quality information.
So much drivel out there from would-be social network experts it is nice to see one so well done.
Cheers,
Ron Davies
Excellent List!!
I use LinkedIn and it is very effective for me because I also maintain my own Joomla CMS-Content Management System, powered web site that has a very easy to use link directory and article management system. This system lets me join up on a public network site and then post links back to my site for interested folks to get more information and look at my resume and services offerings. The link directory lets me keep track of all the sites I have content posted on as well.
I’m a complete list JUNKIE, so this post was right up my alley. I will say that at least one of these sites (which shall remain nameless) is focused specifically on MLMers. Other than that, great post.
This is awesome, entrepreneurs will love it!
Awesome social networks. It’s a good idea to submit to all to help increase rankings.
Thanks for the list
Great artical, many thanks! enjoyed reading
Thanks for the list!! It’s tough to stay on top of all these different networks and still remain effective in your networking- I always end up spreading myself too thin so I stick to the basics, but will definitely be checking a few of these out.
Every social network has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s important for businesses to analyze and compare each network against their social media goals and needs.
I agree with ‘eorourke’. If you and your company have specific goals (which you should) then it’s a good idea to seek out and utilize social networks that only pertain to, and enhance, those goals. Spending time on dead end networks is a waste of time.