There's a natural match between network marketing online and the various social networking sites and tools popping up. But just like anything else, there are right ways and really really bad ways to use these tools. Stay away from the bad ways.

So, what are the bad ways to use social networking?

Treat social networking online like you would hanging out with friends or at a party. What would you do there? Would you loudly announce your presence to everyone in the room and then start proclaiming how great your products and business were? Gee, I hope not!

Rather, you would you find out what's going on with the other people in the room and then talk about your own projects, as long as it was a natural fit.

You go to enough parties, or hang out with friends often enough, and they know you're the real deal and the little bits your drop about your product and business become more natural over time. What? You're surprised that you don't make your millions overnight?

Why? Because it's the interent?

It's true that things do happen faster with the online version of being social, partly because people can go back and see your conversations from days, weeks and months back. They can see where you are coming from and can tell if you're a shuckster or the real deal.

The down side of all of this is that when you start going to the online places to meet other people, there's a good chance that you will be meeting a lot of other online marketers. That's bad, right? After all, everyone is after the same target audience - people who want to make more (or any) money online.

Not so!

And this is part of the brilliance of doing business online. The internet is huge! There are so many market segments there is no way you could hope to corner everything. Even when you come across people who may be in your company marketing the very same thing, you could appeal to totally different demographics, and you would be found in completely different places!

In fact, having friends who are internet marketing savvy will help get you more exposure because they can help promote your sites and your personality. Why would they do that? Because, of course, you will do the same for them.

But remember the party - you don't do this carelessly or without tact. You just introduce friends naturally and in a positive light.

The final question is "how do you do all this", right? Well, that's a discussion for posts. Just suffice to say for now that it can be a very natural extension of the kinds of offline networking you're likely already doing.

Have a specific question? Leave a comment on the blog!