Social media?

[twopoint0]

Do you use social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn to generate business? If so, how do you use it, and have you seen any results?

[Doug Nelson]

I've found they're bad at broadcasting notices, but handy for finding someone specific that perhaps you don't know their name. I regularly post my show notices on Twitter and LinkedIn, but I think someone actually clicked on the links less than 5 times (I use goo.gl which tracks clicks). However, I've made a couple of connections via LinkedIn (I even found a presenter that way).

So I'd say "no" to "generate business" but "yes" to "generate contacts".

[twopoint0]

Doug, I agree that LinkedIn is about generating contacts, but I also feel those contacts can lead to new business. I also use the google tracking thing, and I can see that when I post comments in various Linkedin group discussions, my web site hits will rise on that day.
No offense at all to RetouchPro's EXCELLENT classified area, but whenever I see someone advertising their retouching services there, it seems to me like selling ice to Eskimos. While it's smart to use direct advertising (and I thank God for the advertising industry, which provides a paycheck every week), it's also good to just make yourself known in the communities that we're trying to sell to- photographers, print production managers, art buyers, etc.