Social Networks Rule The World

Facebook Connect. Remember that phrase. It's going to change the way people connect across all social networking platforms.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, says FB Connect is a way to extend its brand across other applications by letting people use their FB username and password instead of needing to put up yet another profile.

It underscores the extreme importance social networking will have in our lives. It also underscores the fact that those who ignore this development will fall behind (yes, I am talking to my fellow baby boomers). In fact ignoring social networking has already caused business folks to fall behind.

I am astounded at the amount of time other less boomerish people spend on connecting via the internet. I spend an hour a day and think that's a lot! Still I have "met" people and because I see their faces and look at their photos and postings I know more about them than the customers I talked to for twenty years in a previous life. What richer relationships we could have had...it was a different time.

We will see regional networking grow as well. echaincommunity is a perfect example. Based in Atlanta echain owner Carrie Podber developed a brilliant site that combines virtual networking with face to face introductions and events. It's the absolute best of both worlds for those living and working in Atlanta. Carrie's on to something. Watch her fabulous idea spread.

Regardless if you network locally or across the world it's imperative that anyone serious about operating in the business/global world jumps in with both feet. There's no worse feeling than the remorse of "I wish...".