Like many people in business, I look for new ways to find new prospects and turn them into clients. Traditional methods like advertising and direct mail only attract a very small percentage of new customers as most people are sceptical of anything they read anymore, hence the term "junk mail". Small business owners and entrepreneurs know that word-of-mouth "advertising" and referrals, while harder to develop, have a higher closing rate for new sales. One way to get referrals is to belong to a business networking group. These are small groups made up of business men and women who meet one a week for breakfast or lunch, to talk about their businesses and help each other know what's new in their area of expertise. They refer business to each other in the group. For example, if I have a client looking to sell their house, I have a realtor in my business networking group that I can refer them to. Now, businesses are beginning to look to social network sites like Facebook and Twitter to attract new customers. By setting up groups to attract "fans" and "followers", companies are finding new ways to interact with shoppers and savers. Loyal customers are using Facebook and Twitter to find new deals at their favorite online and brick-and-mortar stores. But like anything in life, you have to be smart and in some cases skeptical.
"As more corporate users embrace social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and others in their business interactions, it seems likely that individuals or groups committing fraud would use those tools, too. That's why investigators are constantly trying to stay abreast of the latest in so-called "out-of-band" communications", says David Remnitz, an FTI senior managing director specializing in electronic evidence. "We're spending a good amount of time understanding how [social networks] will be used in coming years," he says. "We always need to be one step ahead of the curve."
So as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus used to say on Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there!"
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