It seems like many of us cannot go on a single day without acquiring a good dose of the Internet or to be more specific, a good dose of social networking. Each time we log onto the Internet, we find ourselves belonging to some sort of e-community and it has become a daily routine to check and update our Facebook or MySpace accounts. As a matter of fact, it has become as prevalent as checking your email. We rely on such services and tools in order not only to stay in touch with family and friends and to share e-media such as music and photos, but also to seek others with interests similar to ours. While some companies have recognized the advantages of social networking and as a result try to implement it to their benefit, other companies have banned the use of such sites during work hours.When you create an account with any social networking site, your profile is used to uniquely identify you and later is used for targeted advertisements. For example, in 2004 when SpongeBob SquarePants the movie came out, Paramount Pictures set up a sponsored group on Facebook and succeeded in attracting an astonishing 20,000 users within a matter of days. As can be clearly observed, this is a very powerful tool and strategy for promotional purposes. Moreover, due to the fact that all the users shared the same interests, the ads displayed throughout the group were targeted. This is only one of many ways through which companies use social networking sites to their advantage. For instance, another way it benefits companies is by allowing them to stay in touch with both their employees and also with their suppliers.In today’s world, in order for an individual or business to be successful, they have to be connected socially. Characteristics such as location and size for instance, do not matter as much anymore as they used to as a result of social networking which is region free. Instead, what matters now is the quality of the relationships that you develop with the people around you, individuals or business partners.
