posted by Amir

Even if you aren't a fan of football, you have to love the way players and news outlets have embraced social networking sites to broadcast news, opinions, and personal updates. You don't have to be a world-class striker or holding midfielder to follow their example. Here are a few things the World Cup has shown us about social networking:

Twitter is a great tool for broadcasting news, but only if people are already interested in what you have to say. We've heard from players, agents, and managers about their opinions on different games, their predictions about what's ahead, and even thoughts on the business side of things like transfers, new signings, etc.

For the biggest names, tweeting has been a quick and efficient way to share their thoughts, largely because they've already gathered thousands of followers. Take steps to build a large following of your own, then you'll start to realize the power of Twitter.

Facebook can help the world get to know you. For those who are newer faces to a lot of audiences, Facebook has been a popular first stop. With bios, pictures, and lots of background information, you can quickly learn everything you'd need to know about a player just by looking at his profile.

As your company gains dance and reputation, make sure that your Facebook page reflects that. If someone were to view your profile for the first time, what impression would they get?

YouTube is more popular than BBC, ESPN, or any other single channel... and a lot more cost effective as a marketing medium. By serving as an almost universal news and replay outlet for most of the Internet-connected world, YouTube is a first stop for fans looking for World Cup highlights. It's also an important destination for your customers and prospects.

Don't underestimate YouTube's importance; make sure that your videos, channel, and profiles are aimed at helping searchers first to find your company, and then leaving them with the impression that they would be better off doing business with you.