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Orkut Social Network - Good for Business Networking?

You've probably heard of the Orkut social network by now. If not, you will soon. An independent project affiliated with Google, the Orkut network allows you to develop online friends, business networking contacts, dates and activity partners.

This form of social networking is nothing new. Companies such as Friendster helped pioneer the way. However, the name "Orkut" (named after its founder and Google engineer, Orkut Buyukkokten) has really been the buzz lately.

What is making Orkut the next big thing?

Well, they branded it the right way. Although Google does state that the Orkut network is not part of their main offerings, the words "in affiliation with Google" appear on every Orkut page. This alone adds immediate value.

Besides the branding aspect, you can only join the Orkut network by invitation. People are scouring the Internet trying to get an Orkut invite. Rumors are that people are even selling invites! This social network is growing, and growing fast. As of Feb. 13 (3 days after my first check of 8,000 "connected" members), I was connected to almost 11,000 members. Keep in mind, this is only one portion of the Orkut network. I can only speculate the total number will keep rising quickly. If you're wondering when you'll get your Orkut invite, don't worry - it'll happen soon. Remember, it's still in Beta. A few months from now, don't be surprised to see internal company memos and emails to keep "Orkuting" usage at a minimum.

Once I'm an Orkut member, how does it work?

It's no surprise that Orkut is laid out in an easy to use, informative Google-type style. You create or invite friends at a click of a button, search for communities or members, participate or debate in almost any community thread you choose, rank your friends and even create your own community. Warning - it's kind of addicting!

Ok, down to business. Can the Orkut network help my business networking strategies?

Many think so. Orkut has already brought many and diverse business contacts together. In its short life, there have already been communities created in almost every professional field.

For example, if you're a commercial real estate developer, you can probably find many communities and groups that relate. Or, you can easily create your own. You can upload a personal photo of yourself (if you choose) for branding, develop groups of "friends" (or even competitors) in similar fields and post your input on many community threads and topics. If people or potential customers want to know more, they can click on your name or picture to view your profile. This is where you can place your company information, web site, education level, title, and anything else to entice customers to contact your company. The more you get your name out, the more people will see information about you and your company. Many people are looking to benefit from this business networking strategy.

At least in this stage, many Orkut users are business professionals. With a little exception, the communities are mostly informative and professional, and your education and company information can be found with just a couple clicks. Does Orkut hope to keep it that way? Only time will tell. Again, it's growing - and growing fast!

How well does this work?

Well, it will most likely depend on what you put into it. The Orkut network is still in its infancy stage and people seem to be "feeling it out" right now. If you're familiar with industry-related online forums, you'll find many similarities between them and the Orkut social network. Someone will start a topic and others can browse or post a reply.

Warning - many Orkut communities and forums are public and do not contain moderators. Things can sometimes get a little heated!

Happy Orkuting!

Article written by Paul Jahn, owner of Localmn Web Page Promotion. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Localmn provides Internet marketing and SEO services to clients across the country.

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