Has anyone promoted their biz on MySpace?

I haven't, and most likely would not consider it. MySpace is so tacky, at least the parts of it that I've seen. It seems like a fun place for kids, but for serious businesses? I don't see it.

Would MySpace be suitable only for certain kinds of businesses, such as bands, artists, authors? I'm not sure if it translates to web design and marketing business (our business), or financial services, or what not.

We get most of our business through word of mouth, which I really enjoy.

Personally, I would look to other, more professional, online sources (such as Biznik!) before I'd look at MySpace.

I have recently heard something about fairly large businesses starting my space marketing campaigns,.. I decided that id rather focus on direct to client marketing for the time being, but I am keeping the my space idea in my back pocket as a possible add on to my web marketing direction,.. not sure it will help me much on the commercial side of my photography but thought it might help bring a bit more traffic into my gallery/web store once I have it up and running. However there are a dozen other things I should do first to bring in more traffic, so its definitely not on the top of my list.

Obviously it depends on what your selling, but if you have the time to do it right, I don't think it would hurt.

I am interested in seeing if anyone replies with a success story.

Alex AlexCphoto.com

Hello all!

I have some interesting input on the MySpace question.

As well as running my Virtual Assistant practice, I am also a musician. Yes, MySpace does work well for bands and other types or artists. However, I have learned something interesting in the past few weeks. Many musicians and artists really need administrative and bookkeeping services to help keep their business going. Creating a MySpace site just for my VA business has proven very rewarding. I haven't gotten any actual clients from the site, but I have several leads. Not to mention, there are several great networking groups to join.

A few tips:

Be careful who you add to your Friend List. Adding people who do not keep in line with the positive image we want can be damaging to our reputation.

Also, watch out for the networking groups that are full of spammers. I have chosen to join mostly the private groups. Those have almost zero spam and many more contacts.

And, try not to divulge too much personal information. Even my putting that I'm a parent on my site is probably a little too much!

Here is the address to my MySpace site, if you would like an example: http://www.myspace.com/virtual_solutions . Let me know what you think!

Brianna

Thank you, Giannina!

I will let you know more about how it is working for my business once I start digging in deep with the networking groups.

I also found a great profile for WildWomen Entrepreneurs. I figure if a reputable organization like that is benefitting from MySpace, then I can as well!

I appreciate the feedback!

I'm looking forward to getting some local people hooked on Biznik so that we can host an event here in Tulsa!!

Brianna

Wow, Brianna, a classy-looking MySpace page -- that's a first for me! <smile> Nice job. Hope you can round up some Tulsa folks for a cool Biznik event.

Wow, you have about the most professional looking profile I've ever seen on MySpace, Brianna. Nice job on the interface.

Did you guys know that Biznik has a profile on MySpace? Yup, I created one pretty much for the same reasons you're thinking about, Giannina, about a year ago. Here's the link if you wanna be Biznik's friend:

http://www.myspace.com/business_networking

I haven't invested any time in creating a decent profile, but I have joined a couple groups to check out how they work. So far it feels like a site that wasn't designed for business networking being forced into it, with results that aren't so great. But at least they have groups! So far the main thing I've gotten from MySpace is a steady stream of random requests from people I don't know asking me to be their friend. I said yes at first and then got tired of it.

I'd love to hear more about your experiences as you use MySpace more, Brianna. And let's hear it for a Biznik event in Tulsa! You go girl.

I used to think myspace was so tacky and unprofessional... but I have an open mind and decided to give it a try..... and have pleasantly suprised! I have not had any negative effects or experiences with myspace as I am very careful who I add as friends. I will only add other indie businesses and those who promote such businesses. And I will not add anyone, indie or not, who has an objectionable photo (I check on a regular basis). When I have time I love looking at other profiles and their friends of friends of friends....and have found some wonderful products in doing so.

If anyone here would like to be myspace friends my url is: http://www.myspace.com/countrymeadow Rebecca

Well crud... I just tried adding the two of you as friends and it appears myspace is having difficulites! Rebecca

Rebecca,

GREAT MySpace profile! Very professional!

I agree with you about the objectionable photos. I add a lot of bands and musicians to my site because they are potential clients, but I will not add any offensive or derrogatory profiles so that I can maintain my positive image.

I have several friends that work for different businesses that have a personal profile. It is always good to let them know you have a profile so they can refer people to you.

I definitely don't think it is the best way to network, but it can't hurt to have your name out there. Just work hard to make sure your name stays clean!!

I've done several business buzz marketing ad campaigns on Myspace. There is a huge variety of reason for this, from helping a band, promoting one of my creative writing books, establishing some headhunters, a biker group, a headhunter...

There actually is a huge marketplace there and understanding the way certain features work (like the groups and events area) can greatly add to your market. Depending on the size of campaign you run, there are also some invaluable advertising options that Myspace has.

Myspace has a very wide demographic, but has a cluster around the younger 20 something crowd. However there is a Myspace.com clone site out there that covers almost every demographic (from new parents to senior citizens). Those incredibly tacky looking personal profiles are linked to real buying customers... and some of the strangest profiles link to some of the most ordinary people.

The friends feature is only a very small way of connecting with users, and you have to maximize the widgets available to get great results.

~Barry

My brain is always open to being picked. I warn people though, it is a dangerous place to wander through. ;)

I tend to keep up to date with most online marketing trends even when it isn't in my job description. I am a firm believer that there are great lessons to be learned from examining other industries, and the speed this stuff is changing always sparks my curiousity.

~Barry

Barry,

I'm with G! I'd love to find out how I can maximize what I'm already doing! :)

Thanks for the tips!!

Bri

If you feel like it, zip off a quick brainstorm to my e-mail about where you want to go with Myspace and your business in general. If you have a business summary for your company that would be great.

There is a lot that goes into buzz and online marketing in general, so comparing things like different ad options and your expected return on investment is very important.

~Barry

Hey Barry, sounds like there might be a great topic for your first Biznik event (how to use MySpace and other social networking sites to create buzz about your business).

I'll definately be holding some type of Biznik event on this subject, just have to iron out my schedule. :)

Brianna,

VERY NICE MySpace layout.

Did you design that yourself or did you get someone to do it? It looks awesome!

I actually found it on a MySpace layout website! (I can't remember which one now!) Usually those are really childish and tacky, but this one caught my eye. I just used some basic html knowledge to remove the advertisements. It looks more professional that way!

If you need any help trying to find a good one or making it so the advertisements are gone, let me know!

Brianna

It seems like Myspace can be utilized well, although best used in the Entertainment Industry. I'd like to see it turn more professional than the "dating" feel it has on it.

I'm curious if anyone is finding Biznik to be a better professional promotion of business?

I have a couple other Networking groups I use, but time is limited and they serve different needs. I've already seen more activity here than on Myspace, and with a trusted environment.

Regards,

Melissa

Here's one - Chris Haddad told me Monday that someone from the East Coast contacted him out of the blue by discovering his Biznik profile on Google (his Biznik profile comes up #4 on searches for the phrase "marketing wonk"), and he got a $2,000 copywriting job. I love hearing stories like that. Any others?

I LOVE My Space! I have had wonderful experiences, met some amazing people and gotten plenty of business from it as well.

Playboy called yesterday and want an interview. I have only listened to the phone message but she said that some of the information that they received about me was submitted by people from My Space. I think that is pretty great.

My latest motivational speaking engagement came out of a My Space contact.

I have a profile for my cat where I post a lot motivational material, his blog has gotten up to 3000 hits a day. I wrote a book of pet prayers and have had overwhelming support and response, as well as advance orders from the pet community.

I do read the profiles of people making friend requests and I accept almost all requests made. One of the great things about social networking sites is the ability to reach out in to communities and groups that you otherwise would not reach or have exposure to. I try not to prejudge. If someone is a jerk that will show up soon enough. Besides if you are trying to make a difference in the world preaching to the already converted does not have nearly as much impact as educating the ignorant..

I enjoy the variety of expression that I see on the pages, even the "tacky" ones. I think it is wonderful that people who are not artists have a place and a way they can authentically express themselves with the help of sites like bigoo or photobucket.

From a business perspective I love seeing a page which tells me more about the person who owns the business than the business itself. I am all about creating relationships with people. If I wanted to see another tired and predictable cookie cutter business web page I would do a google search. Sometimes I want to see a traditional biz site, but I would rather see a real glimpse of the person behind the business then suddenly that done to death biz page has more depth and meaning.

There are drawbacks to My Space like there is with anything in this world. I do not like all aspects of My Space but I like and enjoy on both a personal level and a professional level much of what My Space has to offer.

There are 193,387,163 on My Space and thousands of them are pretty damn wonderful. There are tacky people everywhere in the world, not just My Space.

My biggest interest in My Space? If you are in any way in the business of making a positive difference in the world My Space is an unparalleled way to reach out to other communities and people who you would otherwise never meet and make a difference.

If you are a green business, interested in making a difference? There are thousands upon thousands of people organizing on My Space everyday to collectively make a difference and probably interested in what you are doing.

If you have a pet oriented business the pet community on My Space is HUGE and they are buying product. This gigantic network that has never been this quickly or easily accessed before now has given those of us involved in animal welfare the ability to rescue thousands more animals than has ever previously been possible because we can disseminate information so rapidly.

Even the Dalai Lama has a My Space page.

I really want to encourage everyone to think outside the box here and set aside what ever preconceived notions you have. With 193,387,163 members My Space is more populated than most countries, it is what YOU make it and it is rich with possibility.