Social networks are becoming increasingly important for small businesses and professionals as customers shift power to themselves through user-generated content and social media. The presented document discusses key trends in social networks like Google, blogging, and activism. It provides statistics on popular social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and asks how attendees currently use social networks and what challenges they face in business that social networks could help address.

1. Social Networks
An Introduction for Small Business, Solo’s and Transitioners
A RedShift Presentation
by mary wynne-wynter

2. Key Trends
• Power shift from supplier to customer
• Google
• User-generated content
• Thin-client computing
• Bandwidth and power
• Organizing and activism
• Failure of corporate intranets

3. Context
• What’s the biggest business/
professional change/challenge you’re
facing?
• How are you responding and how is
that working for you?
• If you’re on the web, how does that fit
with these challenges and responses?
• How do you perceive social networks?

4. Early Perceptions: Tacky, Teens,
Geeks, Snobs, Trolls