Is Social Networking for Businesses nothing more than a link building exercise?

I attended a seminar a couple of weeks ago and one of the topics covered the increasing role being played by social networking. However, the focus was not on networking at all. The main point of joining forums was touted as being for no other reason than to build links to your own website. That sounded like a load of bollocks to me until I started to explore. Sure enough, so many topics started, so many posts and yet so few replies.

I have been on LinkedIn for ages. I am on Twitter. I am on Facebook. Each new website that crops up seems to ask if you would to share like any bits of infomation with Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and so on. As a consequence of answering in the affermative I now have loads of little ads about Whitney Woods all over the place. And, of course, the amount of links that Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn et al grow by the second. How long before the SEO experts tell us, “links have gone the way of keywords – the big thing that Google is looking at now is your meta whatsit”. Surely, links gained through social networking should be worth nothing if you put them there yourself – self praise is no recommendation!

As for today’s blog about marketing products: We sell loads of good stuff. Here are some links…..

Only kidding – only one link today and it’s not self praise. Voluntary testimonials should be the only links that really count.