Social networking for businesses : is it a boon or bane?

As expected, online social networking offers pros and cons for businesses, and it could be argued that this recent invention has taken the world by surprise as everybody is now coming to grips with the issues faced. Currently some businesses have allowed employees to adopt online social networking while others are wary. It is safe to assume that the non-adoption often stems from a lack of awareness of the benefits that social networking has to offer and the actions that businesses can take to negate the problems. This chapter provides a simple yet detailed overview into the world of online social networking. The pros and cons of social networking have been outlined and a review of four popular social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Viadeo) focussing upon general information, group features, design and information content has been provided. It outlines some practical usage guidelines that can be adopted to make social networking successful. Ultimately to meet the demands of businesses in the age of the Web 2.0 cyberworld it has become more important than ever before to understand this trend-setting movement.