LinkedIn: Starting an Alumni Group When Linkedin started a groups feature (like Facebook groups) I thought about how I could network with former colleagues. now have 32 new people (and growing) that I can network with who share my similar background and interests. Twitter: Maximize Your Travel In the past, I had blogged about why I use Twitter so it’s exciting for me to provide a success story for Twitter. Twitter helps me keep in touch with various clients and colleagues as well as better understand what people in my network "have on the brain". MORE >>

While a dwindling number of business executives still dismiss Twitter as a waste of time, recent research suggests it is one of the most valuable social networks for business. Awareness of Twitter has exploded; 87% of Americans said they were “familiar with” Twitter in a poll taken earlier this year, versus just 5% in 2008 and 26% in 2009. Although fewer Americans use Twitter than Facebook, Twitter users “are far more likely to follow Brands/ Companies than social networkers in general. Twitter Facts, Figures & Stats. MORE >>

I am thrilled to share key findings from research that Don Bulmer and I conducted called The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks. The research was conducted as part of our 2009 fellowship with the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR). Build a network or use social media to deepen customer intimacy has become the mantra of today. In an effort to better understand the impact of social media on business, we conducted research (as a first step) to examine the role that social media has on decision-making among business professionals. Credible? MORE >>

LEARNING PROFESSIONALS ON TWITTER. DIRECTORY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR. Directory of Social Networks for Learning. social networks aimed at learning professionals. of networks for both educators and workplace learning professionals. Use the list to find one or two relevant networks to join. The list is ordered by name of network. name of the network creator, where known are shown in brackets. of a social network that you think should be on the list, email me, Jane Hart. Challenges 2009 : The EDUCAUSE Top Teaching and Learning. MORE >>

As with any hype-cycle, people run out to get or make the latest thing - in this case a social network or community - and often don't think through what having one will be like. Add as many new and cool features to your (business) community and clutter it with bells and whistles. Business people love to learn lots of new tools (not). Abandon a business strategy or never develop one and just give people lots of opportunity to pay for access and content at every turn. V64D9P5KW5HV Thank you for reading Building Online Communities for Business by Leader Networks. MORE >>