Free Marketing Via Social Networks Make the most of your time online.

These days, our influence is measured by the number of Twitter followers we have, offline friends are at risk of taking a back seat to Facebook friends, and LinkedIn is the go-to for professional relationships. It's the era of social networking, but how can you rein in all that energy and use it to market your business? Here are tips from Juliette Powell, author of 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking.

Facebook

• Frequently update your status with the most interesting parts of your business life. "The more interesting you're perceived to be, the more likely you are to carry influence across your network."
  
• Use Notes as a way to spread information or publicize your blog entries. "Sharing links on your profile is becoming a widely accepted alternative to forwarding them via e-mail."
  
• Take advantage of apps like Six Degrees for a visual layout of your friends and how they're interconnected. Then use that knowledge to home in on potentially helpful business contacts.