Can You Social Network Your Way To Business Success?

Business used to be done with a handshake. Sometimes, it still is. But for a growing number of potential customers, the majority of research, referrals, and recommendations are being done by virtual rather than physical word, via social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace. LinkedIn, a social network for business professionals, attracts nearly 69 million monthly unique visitors, according to Web analytics firm Compete Inc. Facebook, one of the largest general-interest social Web communities in the world, has more than 200 million active users (as of April 2009).