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As a matter of fact before you found yourself reading this article you were on Facebook and will be so again as soon as you have finished it.
No matter what time of day or night it is, you can't help seeing what your friends are talking about, where a good restaurant is, how you should spend your evening tonight and how to save money on the latest electronic must-have.
Social networking sites have come into their own and are not just an appendage of real-life social situations.
When social networking sites were new, people used them to find people.
Now the sites are used by any number of institutions to advance their brand with pages on Facebook and Twitter.
Postings on these sites include announcements from schools, restaurants, stores, theaters and government, among others.
The first non-person post I found on Facebook was by a local restaurant with its very own page.
The page spoke about lunch specials and upcoming events the restaurant was hosting.
Whenever I went to my account to check on my social circle, the restaurant's menu was right in front of my face.
No matter if I was hungry or wanted to go out to eat at all, there was the menu in all its appetizing glory.
Usually I went to the restaurant.
This principle can be easily applied to retail stores.
With a page on Facebook advertising specials and promotions, people can't help but see it.
People spending any time on Facebook will jump from page to page in a flash soaking in all sorts of information none of any real depth.
This perusing is similar to reading headlines in a newspaper.
Any appealing headline on any subject will capture people's attention and a subsequent click on the link.
To be effective a page must be updated often and carefully maintained.
This is true of all pages whether they belong to an individual or a business.
Facebook is a great benefit to business owners as they can relate directly and immediately to customers and answer any specific question promptly and accurately.
A person looking for a Karaoke bar where they might spend an evening and want to know when the Karaoke starts can ask the manager and get an instant response.
The customer decides to bring himself and ten friends over that night for some Karaoke and brewskis.
The business owner made his profit for that day with that one answer.
An individual wishing to promote a service or sell a product can also take advantage of social networking sites.
Looking for a job? Post your notice on your updated profile with information about your house and pet sitting expertise and when you are available.
You can post a picture of the mountain bike you wish to sell.
You can be sure that all your Facebook friends will see it and spread the word.
The very best part of advertising a business on the social networking sites is that it gains maximum exposure with minimum cash outlay.
Posting on the sites is free and an attractive presence can bring in some incredible traffic numbers to the business's page.
That page has also made the customer feel good about his decision making ability because that page was his discovery.
He was proactive.
People discover stores and restaurants on Facebook all on their own.
This is much more customer friendly than anonymously leaving a flyer under someone's windshield wiper.
This action may seem more an intrusion than an important announcement.
The Facebook way is never rude or intrusive.
The social networking sites were once the playground of college students and start-up garage bands.
They are now a mainstream, legitimate venue to increase business.
Everybody accesses social networking sites.
All these potential customers are a mere mouse-click away.
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