Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have made a splash in recent years as the leaders in the social networking segment.  The problem is that, as they are huge and growing, they are only the tip of the iceberg.

Today, social networks, properly managed, can be the ultimate branding tool.  With site such as Twitter, Bebo, and several hundred other viable niches in the social networking segment drawing in tons of people, they can be used for brand management as well as getting the word out about interesting aspects of a company.

In the search engines, there are social networking sites that rank exceptionally well.  Controlling the front page and beyond for searches of one’s business name can help keep poor reviews or other damaging items our of public view.

For proper search engine reputation management to work, these websites have to be utilized.  They can work with each other to lift each other up, not only in the rankings, but also by cross-pollenating of users.  If a potential client sees that you have a Ning site, for example, they may check it out, join it, and then explore other social networking sites with which your company participates.

The advantages are many, but a sharp word of advice.  These are not simple “set it and forget it” style websites.  They need interaction and participation.  They require nurturing of relationships and spreading the proper words.  They cannot be ego-centric and must offer benefits to the users.  Plugging in accounts at these sites and spamming with them, or worse, doing nothing with them, can be more damaging than beneficial to your brand and your company.

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