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Social Networking sites are like ” Stop Signs, ” there is one in every corner. Some, we stop and look around and some we pass by without even taking the time to stop and look. With the emergence and growth of so many Social Networking sites it has become of utmost importance to find something that provides us with business networking opportunities in a casual environment. Global Business Networking ( GBN ) does just that.

I was invited by the GBN admin to use this site a couple weeks ago and I personally have had a very pleasant experience to say the least. The site is still in its infancy but with due marketing and loyal members, I think this site has a great potential to stand out in the crowded market of Social Networking sites. So, why exactly should you try this site out while you already have your hands full with couple of them? Keep reading and you might find some reasons, if not all as to why you should atleast give this service a chance. I have added quite a few images for you to see so as to give you an idea of what each section looks like as well.

Networks

This is where you start your own network, join other networks, and generally discuss issues relevant to you and your peers. GlobalBusinessNetworking pretty much views this as the heart of the whole site. It’s where online business networking really takes off in being able to talk to other people about issues that are directly relevant to you. They also have a cool anti-spam feature. If you think a post is spam you can report it to the network founder (the person who started and runs the network), and if a certain number of reports are received about a member in one day a message goes to the admins for them to investigate. This feature really takes off the strain as most of the messages are legit and related to networking queries. Also, I personally haven’t found any spam messages so far and I have been using the site for almost a month now.

News & Events

As the name suggests, here you can submit your own news and events for other members to see and this page lists 6 live RSS feeds ( BBC News, AMEInfo, FT, News, GulfNews and AlJazeera ) from world-wide news sources. This section alone gives you an opportunity to post news and events that are related to your business which updates other members on anything that might be interesting for them. Personally, this section serves as a major criteria for any business to succeed - the need to bring the information out through one platform to many at the same time.

Buyers & Sellers

I find this section of particular interest to me. It allows you to post up what you’re selling or what you’re buying. This can then be searched by other members who are looking to buy or sell specific products or services. For example, let’s say you’re a consultant who is looking to sell your services. You would post them up here, and anytime a fellow member is looking for a consultant in your line of work he can do a search and see your details. Also if you are looking to buy something, say the services of a website designer, you could simply add it in this section and hopefully somebody will contact you regarding their services. This is a big plus within this network.

Share Your Experience

If you’ve ever had a great customer service experience then you’ll like this area. In fact if you’ve ever had a bad one (and who hasn’t!) then you’ll like it even more. Here you can let the world know about good or bad experiences you’ve had and give the person or establishment a star rating out of 5. It’s also tied into the site as well, so you can rate members of GlobalBusinessNetworking. Think one of the regulars in the networks area really knows his stuff? Recommend him and let everyone know what you think.

This section allows you to view companies and businesses reputation among the members before you go ahead and hand them your business. A major plus.

Recruitment

Most of us have either had to look for a job, or had to recruit, at one stage or another, and that’s where this section comes in. You can post details of any positions you’re looking to recruit for as well as list your own CV for potential employers to check out. This section alone can be worth joining the site as it exposes you to potential employers and if you own a business you might as well find someone who you have been interacting with for a while through the site’s networking services.

So, if you are running a business the chances are you will be getting people whom you already know and have interacted with before. This certainly gives you a better idea on who to hire and who not to. A win win situation for both parties.

Profile

The profile section is pretty much just like any other social sites.It includes the standard profile attributes, such as your name, website address, email address etc, you can also add your own video profile by either uploading your own video or pasting in the embed code from a YouTube video. The video profiles have just been introduced and are currently in beta, however the ability to quickly upload your own video message to anyone who visits your profile is a really cool idea. Even though the feature is new it’s something that all businesses using these servics should look into integrating. The site developers have said they’re expecting to add this functionality to several different parts of the site including the Web Directory, which is an opt-out area in the site that non-members can use to search for and contact members of the site.

GlobalBusinessNetworking definitely delivers on its promises – it allows you to do all your online business networking from one place with minimum fuss and the maximum efficiency. Don’t get me wrong, it does have some negatives – it’s clearly still under development with some areas needing some spit and polish, and from Feb next year you’ll have to pay to use some of the more advanced features of the site (although the developers have said they may put that date back a few months). I personally think GBN should keep its services free and generate revenue from advertising and other sources. If I have to pay for the services GBN provides, I will, but it just depends how much it can benefit for me. But again its still in infancy so we have to wait and see where this site goes.

I would personally like to recommend you to try this service out. As for now, the site is still young but being an early adopter might give some boost for you and your business as the site grows. Currently, the site doesn’t have a very large community but if it gets the exposure it deserves and keeps growing, this site certainly has a lot of potential.

To find out what’s new at GBN please visit their blog

So, what do you think? Does this site have the potential to stand out in social networking sites? Share your view.

Tags: Paid Review //