Facebook is THE hot company in the tech world that came from out of nowhere to rule the social networking landscape. Facebook’s roots wind back 3 years when Harvard student/hacker, Mark Zuckerberg started the service to give fellow students easier ways to stay in touch with one another.

Fast forward to today: Facebook now attracts millions of users worldwide. The benefits of using Facebook are tremendous, but here are 7 reasons why you should consider jumping on the bandwagon.

1. Network with friends
Your social network is no longer limited to just the people in your immediate area. With Facebook, you can locate acquaintances, and friends of friends easily.

Facebook also alerts you whenever a new friend joins, posts information, updates their profile or adds a new friend. It truly is a wonderful tool for keeping people connected and involved in each other’s lives even when miles or continents separate them.

2. Applications and tools
One of Facebook’s unique features is the widgets. Widgets are little applications built by companies and groups to provide extra levels of usability. Widgets are common to most computer users, but are fairly new when it comes to social networking sites. It’s just another testament to the popularity of Facebook that widgets are being designed specifically for them.

3. Share Photos easily
Facebook doesn’t put limits on how many photos users can post in their profiles. This makes it ideal for sharing tons of pictures without having to create separate albums or spend hours e-mailing just to make sure everyone gets to see your pics.

4. Perfect for creating web traffic
Since Facebook has become a central hub for social networking you can use that hub to drive people to your personal blog or Web site. Simply by putting your links into your profile, you dramatically increase the chances that they’ll get seen and clicked through.

5. Form common interest niches
You might have a big network of friends, which is great. But Facebook makes it easy to form smaller groups that revolve around your unique interests. Members are free to form virtually any type of group they want, regardless of how limited the interest might seem. Want to develop a group that loves goldfish? How about a group that’s against blue M&Ms? Whatever it is, there’s a good chance you’ll find others on Facebook who share your passions and interests.

6. Toot your own horn
Have you done something worth telling everyone about? Want to get the word out about your band’s next gig? Facebook is the perfect launching pad for getting the word out. You can shout out to everyone in your network, or just a select few — the choice is yours. You can even have guests RSVP on the Facebook event page.

7. Privacy
All this talk about friends, networking, notifications and such might make you wonder if you’ll get any privacy at all. Who wants their entire world to be open for anyone to look at? Facebook allows you to limit who can see your profile. You can allow only those in your immediate network access to your profile and even block unwanted users.

Right now Facebook is the end all when it comes to social networking. If your friends are anywhere, they’re on Facebook.

Facebook is not only fun and easy to use, but it gives your business exposure to millions of people worldwide. Networking with friends is simple, no matter where they’re located and friends can even write on your “wall” or send you virtual gifts.

If you’re wondering what Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have to do with Websites and marketing, check out these articles.

Does your website sound like Hilary Clinton?
http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/01/09/hillary-clinton-voice/

How Barack’s Strategy Could Help You Win Customers
http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/02/05/barack-obama-communication-style/

Marketing lessons from Huckabee and Obama
http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/01/07/marketing-lessons-from-huckabee-and-obama/

Ever wonder why some companies go to great lengths to make sure their phone numbers spell out something catchy?

It’s to make sure that people remember the number if they hear it and don’t have a way to write it down.

Think about it. You’re a small business owner wanting to get a web site up and running. You’re driving down the road listening to the radio. A commercial comes on that advertises professional web design and marketing services. The person in the ad hits all the right buttons - fast turnaround time, reasonable rates and easily updated content.

You’re sold. Then comes the number. 1-800-555-2390.

What are the chances you’re going to be able to pull over and write it down or even remember it when you’re ready to order?

Now imagine that the number is 1-800-WEB-SITES.

Easy right?

The same is true when we’re talking about domain names. When you’re marketing your web site and don’t have a physical object to give people with the address on it, you’re depending on their memories.

The problem is that many domain names aren’t easy to remember AND you most likely already have a web site and simply can’t change the URL.

So what can you do?

Get a second domain name. Domain names are inexpensive now and can easily be gotten for as little as $10. You then use this web site to give visitors a good idea of what your business is all about. How it operates, what it offers and of course, a re-direct to your current site.

The trick with the second domain is to make the URL something that’s relevant to your business and easy to remember.

Taking our small business example you might want to try a domain like www.websitedesignforwomen.com, which directly targets a specific market. This way, whenever you market yourself, whether it’s on the radio or speaking directly to someone, you can give them a name that’s going to stick in their brains without them having to write it down.

And even if they forget the rest of your marketing message, they’re going to remember your URL, which will remind them of everything you told them before AND point them to where they can buy your products or service.