Top Network strategies for small business

For any company, large or small - though especially small - networking is of vital importance. You want people to know about your company, and whether you're talking to other business owners or straight to customers or clients you need to know how and when to network. This can prove a sticking point for those poor business owners who, fantastic though they may be at their craft, can't communicate properly or do know how to do it professionally.
Don't worry. Below are some network strategies for small business owners who are trying to get their feet off the ground and their names into their community - and beyond. With a bit of practice and diligence, you'll be networking like the best of them in no time
Blog: Write Online to Share Thoughts, Ideas, and Concepts.
Blogs have been created by everyone from moms wanting to share pictures of their kids to experts in their fields sharing advice, how-to’s, and industry trends. Take advantage of the knowledge accumulated within the business and share it!
Blogs are short bursts of information, and can include teasers that drive traffic to the business website or gets prospective customers to grab a phone and call to find out more. Create a blog through simple, pre-formatted sites like Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, or Typepad.com. Then include a link to the blog in every email sent from your company. Traffic will slowly increase as long as content is fresh – aim to post at least once a week with new product releases, short how-to videos, or information

LinkedIn: Network with Business Connections.
LinkedIn is a social network for business contacts. Join the community and start searching for business associates. The value at LinkedIn comes with the groups that a user becomes a part of – professional associations, corporations, college alumni groups, and more. With each group, users have access to discussions, pertinent news stories that have been posted, and a professional networking system for asking questions, finding inventory, or searching for new employees......read more http://news.bytrade.com/info/902-Top-Network-strategies-for-small-business.htm