Web 2.0 Social Networking Tools to Grow and Expand Your Business -- A look at the 10 Most Popular (plus one additional making it's mark)...

Web 2.0 social networking tools are all the rage right now. A few new ones pop up every week and the internet is becoming increasingly crowded with all of the various options. However, the internet and the way that people interact with it are also becoming increasingly dependent on these Web 2.0 social networking tools. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to harness the power of these Web 2.0 social networking tools and turn them into Web 2.0 marketing tools for your business and website.

Before you can do that, you have to separate all of the Web 2.0 social networking tools into what you can actually do and do well and what isn't worth your time despite how trendy or interesting it may be. Here, we'll take a look at 5 of the Web 2.0 social networking tools that your business should definitely use, as well as 5 (+1) more Web 2.0 social networking tools that just might not fit what you're doing.

5 Web 2.0 Marketing Tools to Definitely Look Into

When used correctly, these Web 2.0 social networking tools can definitely help grow your business and help you to reach new customers.

•Digg -- The concept behind Digg is simple; the more people that like something, the more people will find content that is worth their time. You can "Digg It!" for content you find funny, informative or interesting. Create some content, maybe a demonstration of your great new gadget and submit it to the site.

•Facebook -- Facebook is inarguably the most popular of the Web 2.0 social networking tools. Find, gather and keep track of friends, the problem as one of the potential Web 2.0 marketing tools is giving a face or personality to your business or product.

•Flickr -- Flickr allows users to store images and collections of photographs and to share them with friends or be searched for. As the saying goes, an image is worth a thousand words. So hold photo contests or capture your product in action with great photography and share it.

•MySpace -- MySpace gives you more control over what you want to display. Unlike Facebook, your business can be itself and doesn't need to be a personality representing it. The goal remains the same though: provide something of value to make people interested.

•Squidoo -- Creating a Squidoo Lens enables you and your business to drive more traffic to your website. A Squidoo Lens offers instructions, advice and information about a specific subject. Demonstrate your expertise and have it come back to you with increased visitors to your actual web page.

5 (-: +1 new :-) Web 2.0 Marketing Tools to Think Twice About

These Web 2.0 marketing tools are great, innovative and important; but they just aren't right for every business or product out there. Seriously analyze your situation to see if it makes sense before devoting your time and effort into them.

•Podcasts -- Podcasts are like You Tube (see below). They can be a great avenue to spread the word about your business, if you actually have something that people want to view and listen to! Otherwise, don't waste your time creating a boring video or audio message that nobody would want to see.

•Second Life -- Second Life is a virtual world that many people spend a lot of time in. However, for a business, Second Life may not be one of the more appropriate Web 2.0 marketing tools. It will be hard to see a real ROI on your time and monetary investment here. Second Life is better suited for nonprofit organizations with a cause that people will be drawn to.

•Technorati -- Technorati is a database and tracker of blogs around the internet. Something that is too business oriented or sales-pitchy may just not engage the available audience of the site. If you don't have a blog, that's the first step and it's time to take it.

•Twitter -- Twitter is a Web 2.0 social networking tool that basically enables you to update people in your group of updates, statuses and so on. Unless you have a diehard audience, the type of information and updates a business can provide through this typically will no matter to most people.

•You Tube -- You Tube is great for a laugh or a time killer, but is not always great as a Web 2.0 social networking tool. You cannot just place a sales pitch on the site, sit back, and wait for 2 million views. You need to have actually engaging content that people want to watch; if you don't, then don't bring your business there.

•Wooxie -- Wooxie is a Web 2.0 social networking site that allows you to post micro and macro messages, allows you to feature fans and following, use business and personal photo galleries, make money from Google for unique articles you create and much more.