Joining a social network can be tricky and potentially misleading for newcomers, especially if you’re unsure about its usefulness.  Here’s a simple guide to help you choose the right programme.

• LinkedIn is a professional tool used by professionals to maintain a vast network of contacts. Naturally, many headhunters are present, making it essential for job seekers to be active on the platform.  It offers a few participation options and a strong focus on job searching.  Similarly, Viadeo and Neurona provide advantages in terms of localisation.  While English is essential on LinkedIn, these other platforms allow interaction in native languages. Viadeo is particularly useful for organising events and fostering social networking beyond the online world.
• Spock represents the social networking tools Google developed for search engines.  These tools are light and concise, allowing users to tag each other and implement an online version of “word of mouth”.  Voting is also crucial, enabling users to express their opinions by saying, adding or noting something and then demonstrating agreement or disagreement through a polling system.
• Facebook is your online life, allowing you to add virtually anything to your profile through numerous applications and widgets.
• Naymz is the reference tool and the entire system hinges on your reputation – one you can build and one you can lose.

Other tools exist, each with its own limitations and advantages.  Many offer localised content and a focus on vertical professional networks.  Examples include Ryze, Hi5, Ecademy, Doonstag, Ciwi, Xing, Konnect, SuccessBC and Zubka.

I’m sure I can hint at the presence of the four above in the title and don’t forget to link back to me 🙂

Have a great networking session and don’t forget to enrich your connections with some real-life networking.