It’s no secret that Social Networking is huge. It’s also obvious that it is continuously changing. Friendster gave way to MySpace, which is fighting to retain users that are quickly immigrating to Facebook, all the while; many of us have snuck off to Twitted and FriendFeed. If these are the only sites you know, you only know about 1/10000th of what makes up the social network universe. Don’t feel bad, few can wrap their head around the breadth and depth of SoNets, and no one is omniscient enough to have even heard of most of them.
 
SoNets are a fact of life and business. If you’re reading this, you’re on Talent Zoo, which means you’re looking for a job or an employee. Businesses can feel free to hire me to consult with them about SoNets and Social Media (SoMe), this one is for the job hunters.
 
So you’ve got your resume perfect, it gives a brilliant overview of your skills, talent, and experience. You’re already a step ahead of me! You’ve briefed your references so they talk about your strengths and not what you did at the last company outing. If you’re a creative, you’ve got your portfolio book, site, or iPod full of your best work. That should do it right? Not exactly. What happens when your future employer’s HR staff Googles you? They’ll get to know you really well or not. They may find nothing, not a big deal; unless you’re a creative, marketer, advertiser, programmer, you get it. If you’re in the business you’d better be online. ‘Why’ should be obvious, we’ll get to ‘where’ later. Let’s talk about ‘how’.
 
How you present yourself online, in SoNets or otherwise is as important as how you present yourself in person. Even more so since this may be your first impression to potential employers, and you know what they say about first impressions. This goes not just for job hunters involved in advertising or interactive, but for everyone. Most savvy employers won’t hold your MySpace pictures against you, some may. The Internet is public domain. Everyone can see anything you’ve posted online. So those party pictures, blogs about Star Trek and forum rants are just a click away for anyone who wants them. If you want be treated as a professional, take care to establish a professional persona online. Keep your comments, blogs, etc. professional. This isn’t to say you can’t be yourself online. On the contrary, be as personal and wacky as you want. Just do it with a non- related screen name that you only share with friends. Speaking of which, if you’re on Facebook, get two accounts. One for friends that’s private and one for professionals. Don’t let friends or non-business contacts friend you. You’d be surprised how inappropriate your college buddies or that girl you just met might be on your Wall!

For those thinking, ‘this is such a pain, why bother’, remember that first impression I mentioned? By presenting a skilled and experienced face on social networks, you can get a jump on the competition. By getting involved in professional forums you can position yourself as an eager learner, a helpful pro, even as an expert in your field.

This is the first article in a series that I plan to write about trying to build a website and generate a positive cashflow from it. 

The Plan:

I like to play casual games on the web, so I decided to go with what I like.  My plan is to create a series of websites that host casual flash games.  Each website will have a targeted URL with a targeted home page.  The first in the series is Golf Arcade the url is www.golfarcade.net.  On this site the home page contains all games related to golf, but like all the other sites I intend to create, the site will include other game types.  I have decided to take the targeted approach on the home page with hopes to be more successful in getting ranked in search engines….I’ll let you know how that turns out. 

I will place advertising on the website to generate some revenue.  I’m not really sure what kind of revenue I can expect, but I don’t expect to get rich off the idea.  I think right now I would be happy just to make enough to pay for my morning coffee.

I’m using two advertising services to try to generate revenue from my site(s).  The first is adbrite and the second is google ad sense.  Both are very easy to setup.  You just create an account, and paste a little snippet of code into your web pages and voila, you are now an advertiser.  I’m going with two different advertisers to compare how well they pay.  My research on this topic gave me mixed results, so I just decided to try it for myself.  If one tends to pay out much more than the other, I will ditch the least paying one.

I’m using google analytics to track the traffic to my site, if you have never used google analytics I would strongly suggest you get an account, it’s free and gives you loads of great information.

I am using 1 and 1 hosting as my hosting company, they offer 250gig of storage space with unlimited transfers, that is a big bonus if you intend to host files that have any significant size to them.  My hosting costs are $10 a month.

To build the actual website I did some searching around the web and found a good site that has a very large database of games and offers a nice xml feed.  I wrote some software to read the feed and download all the information I need for each game, so far that is working well.  I’m writing the software in Java and using Apache Velocity, a templating engine, to create the actual html.  I then upload all the static html to my domain.  Why don’t I just create a dynamic web app instead?  Well the answer is quite simple, I took this approach so I am not tied to any one hosting company.  If I decide to switch hosting companies then I don’t have to worry about wether or not that company offers jsp/.net/php service.

I launched Golf Arcade about a week ago, and I’ve already made several changes since it’s first inception, and learned a lot.

What I’ve Learned So Far:

I started working on the first website about 3 weeks ago, and have launched the first version of my website about 1 week ago.  Immediately after I launched the website I started thinking about how I can spread the word without having to spend a ton of cash (read: spend no cash).  The fist thing I decided to do was post a link to some of the games on my facebook page.  I figured that all of my friends that spend way too much time playing games on there would love to get another gaming site.  I posted the links and waited until the next morning to look at my analytics.  First thing the next day I looked at my analytics expecting to see hundreds of referrals from my facebook links, and of course I had 2.  At that moment I learned that this is going to be a bit harder than I thought.  For the next few days I spent a lot of time reading about website promotion and seo.

The second thing I’ve learned is that I should have done some research into the actual games before I decided to begin with a targed golf gaming site.  As it turns out, there are not a lot of good golf flash games available.  I chose the domain and the theme because I like golf, not because there are good games.  As a result of this, my first website really took a hit because the home page has just terrible content. 

SEO Tips:

Here are just a few of the tips I’ve found over the last few days.

Use the meta keywords tag Make sure your meta keywords match the actual content of your site Use the meta description tag Add as much unique content as you possibly can to your page Make sure all your images define values for alt and title, these two attributes are the ‘content’ of your images.

Over the next week or two I intend to go through my website with a fine tooth comb to make sure my keywords are relevant.  I’m also goin to focus on creating another website in my series of flash websites.  As of right now I’m leaning towards a site that is targeted toward Solitare games.

At the time of this writing my analytics show that I have had 153 visits to my golf website, which would be great except that 80% are from me testing things out.

You can get much more from social networks than just a chance to show your mettle. SoNets are a great source of education. Other users can help you solve problems, point you to tutorials and other resources, turn you on to industry news and events, even hook you up with contacts.

“Okay, I get it, give a little, get a little, put my best face forward. But where?” There is no right answer. If I was talking just to 3D artists, I’d suggest niche sites like CGTalk.com. You’ll have to spend a little time Googling to find the best niche networks to get involved with. For SoNets that aren’t so niche, a good place to start is our old friend Facebook. FB has a great many groups, some as random as My Name Is Durwin (of which I am a member of course), or as obvious as Design & Typography. Professional groups aren’t just on Facebook though,MySpace and others have some worth joining. There are a bunch of great sites dedicated to professionals only, chief among them, LinkedIn. If you don’t have an account here, you’re, quite frankly, nuts. Talent Zoo is a great site for job searching. Not only does it offer great articles (feel free to agree below) and job boards, but also gives you a chance to interact with colleagues and potential employers.

If you have a unique interest, alot to say, or ADD (all of which I’m very proud of), consider subscribing to or starting a blog. There is no end to the number of general and niche industry blogs, from technology to job hunting, advertising to life hacking. Got something on your mind? For free you can create as many blogs as you like with sites like Wordpress, Blogspot, to name a few. It’s as easy as using Word. Much more than an online diary, it’s a great way to discuss your ideas and get feedback from readers. If you want to develop a larger social network, consider using Ning to launch a blog that can turn into a fill-fledges, multi-member social network. D.C. Insider Ariana Huffington turned her blog into a multi-author, political blog network worth millions.

Of course, everyone is talking about Twitter now. It has actually become my #2 news source, after CNN and tied with the Huffington Post. I’ve made tremendous contacts and learned an enormous amount of helpful and professional facts, as well as a tremendous amount of inane and personal facts! “Isn’t that where geeks go to talk about their latest podcast and what happened on Heroes?” Of course it is. But it’s much more. There is nowhere that the conversation is more raw and to the point than Twitter. In 140 characters, you’ll get everything from Red Sox plays to the latest on the McCain and Obama campaigns, behind-the-scenes images and commentary from industry events. You’ll also get help with technical problems, employee referrals, heads-up on new products, new sites and new jobs. There is a fun movie on Twitter.com that explains the service. Your best bet would be to begin by following some people whose user name you know (like mine) and see who they’re talking to. Pick the ones having interesting conversations and follow them, then see who they are following. It’s as exponential as it is experiential. Twitter isn’t just for online chat. I’ve met dozens of the people I converse with everyday at industry events. As a matter of fact, that’s how I found out about the event in the first place. Even out-of-town Tweeps come into town; they get treated to a Boston Tweet-up!

Twitter is not a place to join and start begging for jobs, or beating people over the head with your CV. LinkedIn is not the place to start Friending everyone at a company you’ve never worked at in hopes of getting an inside referral. In any social network, just like when visiting a foreign country, get to know the local customs. See how people interact, what they are interested in. You may find it’s not the right place for you. But, don’t worry, there are so many social networks, you’ll very easily find one that suits you whether you are job hunting, trying to change careers, or looking to hire.

Over the last year, I have seen many of my family and friends go from the entrepreneurial perspective of wanting to build multiple funnels of income on the side, to losing their jobs and needing to make money NOW.  Businesses have closed, jobs have been eliminated, but there are still mortgages to pay and groceries to buy. 

I can’t fix the economy and I can’t bring back all of those jobs, but I have a few ideas that can help put folks back on the right track.  I have a few strategies and nuggets of advice to help get you out there where people can find you and bring opportunity to you, if that’s what you want.

Since I specialize in online marketing strategies, my ideas usually require access to a computer and a working internet connection.  If the internet service has had to be canceled so that money could go toward house payments, I surely understand.  Perhaps you have an inexpensive internet café in the area where you could go periodically, or a local hotel lobby computer you could use.  Of course, when asking to use free internet resources – and when looking for income opportunities – I highly recommend presenting yourself cleanly, professionally, and with the graceful ability to take “no” for an answer.  How you handle yourself when you hear the word “no” can make a big difference in whether people keep you in mind for other opportunities.

So, you have access to a computer with an internet connection.  You need to equip yourself with two things:

A free internet e-mail account A www.Twitter.com account

These two things are the foundation of your internet networking infrastructure.  It’s where everything begins.

An internet e-mail account is crucial for many reasons.  Almost every internet site, every online form you fill out, every opportunity to get in on the free information requires that you give an e-mail address so you can:

Be sent the information Help the website stay in legal compliance by proving that you really requested the information that they’re sending you (proving that they’re not sending you “spam”). Send you any opportunities that may interest you – you don’t want to miss out on an idea or event that could get you that next job or make you more money.

You’ve heard of internet “spam”, of course.  If you’re really worried about it, open two free e-mail accounts – one for your personal and professional correspondence and one that you leave on websites that send you information.

There are many free internet e-mail services, so having two e-mail addresses won’t cost you a thing.  I have personally used www.mail.com for years, and have found their internet e-mail service to be reliable and very easy-to-use.

Also, using an internet e-mail service is portable – you can log in to your e-mail address from any computer that has internet access.

A Twitter account is the way to network with people who have ideas and information that you want.  You’ve heard about it on the news, and you might be wondering why people put so much stock into a website where everyone just writes a sentence or two about what they’re doing right now.  You might also be wondering how Twitter is different from other sites where people do the same thing:  type a few sentences about what they’re doing right now.

Here’s the big difference – the difference that can open doors for you: 

Other networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are mostly for people to talk, but not to advertise, unless they’re intentionally buying ad space.  Those sites have a complicated set of rules regarding what you can advertise and how you can advertise it – even when you have a legitimate, legal business or offer.  Twitter THRIVES on the independent marketing community.  Twitter is an exchange of links, ideas, and opportunities where its members are encouraged to point their friends to new opportunities. 

On Twitter, you can put yourself out there, without talking, without interviewing, and without cutting into your time pursuing other money-making avenues.  Let’s say you were just laid off from your job at the plastics factory, and you’re looking for a new job.  You could post on Twitter, “Lost my injection molding job in Elgin, IL.  Looking for a new job.”

There are people on Twitter doing searches on keywords that will find you, and perhaps follow you on Twitter.  Maybe there is an HR person at another plastics factory nearby who is on Twitter, and every day he does a search on the keywords “injection molding”.  Your post about losing your job in injection molding would pop up in his search.  He might send you a message to let you know he’s interviewing. 

You can use Twitter keyword searching, too.  You can do that keyword search on “injection molding”, and start to follow other Twitter users that look like they have the same interests as you. 

The larger your Twitter network, the greater your chances of finding your next money-making opportunity.  I hope you’ll add me to your list – I like to post about new online marketing strategies and information about the online market makers that invent it all.  My Twitter ID is JJ_DigiMM.

You don’t want people to sell anything to you?  No problem.  You can pick and choose what you read.  Here’s what’s in it for you:  you can market on Twitter, too.

You don’t have a product?  You don’t like to sell things?  No problem.  I’ll have suggestions for that, too, in my next installment.  In the meantime, there are a lot more free articles on internet marketing on www.DigiMarketMakers.com and the Online Market Makers Blog: www.OnlineMarketMakersBlog.com.

By putting your internet networking infrastructure in place, you’re setting the stage for finding ways to bring money back into your household. 

Stay positive and start building.

Medium to Global Businesses
Yes – like smaller entities, large corporations can behave in exactly the same manner and follow a similar model, albeit with more seed money and with the aim of gaining a larger slice of the pie. In fact this approach was taken by nearly all large businesses during the first Internet boom, simply because there was no established model or pattern to follow. To a greater extent, this is still happening, even when the most seemingly-savvy media companies are involved.

To large businesses the Internet is often viewed as an enormous retail opportunity: b2c – business to consumer or b2b – business to business (supply chain), but that misses the wider picture. Discounting eBay, which is reselling goods through thousands of small traders, the first retail outlet in the WWW, Amazon, doesn’t appear until position 35 (in the top 500) – the next is Amazon again (the Japanese version) at around 120. So the vast, vast majority of traffic on the Internet is not shopping. A small proportion is – which is still a very large market – but tapping into what everyone else is doing, is the unrealised value for large businesses.

The Internet is another channel for global corporations, and awareness can be raised by exploiting this channel. The Internet is like the largest of school playgrounds. The teachers (corporations) may be theoretically running the show, but everyone in the playground knows what’s going on in the school, long before the teachers do. ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ experienced this recently when the broadcaster (ITV) was very slow to react to the show’s extended reach on YouTube through the Susan Boyle phenomenon (despite the winner from 2 years earlier, being one of the most watched YouTube videos of all time). Eventually after 2 or 3 shows, they printed a link in the final credits pointing to their own site, where the full program and clips could be downloaded. Too little, too late? Despite the tardy response, traffic still leapt by 1,200% on what was already a busy site.

The Internet is a communications ‘playground’ as the simile above suggests. Corporations can extend their reach in almighty jumps, by creating content and services *aimed* at this target audience. Find out what they’re doing and like to do, and then commit to it. Nothing will fail more rapidly, than a corporation making a half-baked attempt at social networking. Research, discover, deliver and then commit. The Internet is a useful learning tool and some good bargains can be had – but it’s main use, as all the traffic reports confirm is – a place of social entertainment. I’m not suggesting the teachers start coming to school in bling, with a mobile clamped to their ear, for ‘mingling’ purposes. Just that they build an awareness of what people are doing.

Innovators
The last category is the smallest, with the highest barrier to entry. It generally (but not always) presupposes some technical ability, since you’re often creating something new.
That’s just it – create something totally original, that will move everyone forward a further step. It’s far more likely to come from a 2 person enterprise than a corporation so don’t be put off. Google, Facebook (neither of which were original – just improved executions of existing ideas), Twitter, MySpace, Digg, Flickr, Skype. Hang in for a year and Google will probably try to buy you for several hundred million dollars. Or take the approach of Mark Zuckerberg. He turned down $1billion from Yahoo and then later $2billion from Google (though this was probably just rumour). Currently at 250 million users he should hang on – and consider buying them further down the line.

Conclusion
Yes, there are ways to make money on the Internet, but ’sit-back-and-get-rich-quick’ schemes are ways of getting your attention and traffic. They have seriously diminishing returns and little longevity. Research and target your niche, get help -  the Internet is awash with helpful individuals and communities – and start working hard. The rewards always tend to come, just when you’re ready to give up.

(Preceded by the complementary article – How can individuals, medium and large businesses make money from the Internet? – Part 1)