Step 1 Sign up with the right social website.

Not all social websites will be helpful to your business. For you to make money with social networking, you first need to find a website whose target market matches that of your business. If you are after baby boomers, something as hip as Bebo may not be the ideal social website for your business. You probably want something more staid or exclusive like Orkut.

Be aware, however, that finding the perfect match for your business is not akin to finding a soul mate. There could be more than one social website that matches your business needs and if so, you should sign up for each and every one of them. It's free anyway!

Step 2 Create a profile page.

Profile pages introduce you - or in this case your business - to other people. They always come with photos and you have the chance of cementing your business's trustworthiness if you submit your own photo or at least the logo of your business.

Profile pages also come with a lot of free space so that you can tell people more about you and the business. Focus on making the details brief but precise, witty but informative, and last but not the least, all the information you give must be designed to encourage consumers to favor your business. But if the first thing they do is to add your account instead of buying a product out right, well, that's good, too!

Layouts for profile pages can usually be modified. If you're not familiar with HTML, CSS, and the likes, you can usually download design templates from other websites and apply it to your social networking account. The layouts you choose must fit the type of business you own. They must also be visually appealing to your customers but user-friendly at the same time, with highly visible links so that visitors would never get lost in your website.

Step 3 Send a message to everyone.

There are three possible ways for you to get in touch with everyone in social networking websites. If you have an announcement to make, you can send a message to everyone in your network. You can also post a message on the bulletin board or participate in the forums created by social networking communities.

Objectives for your message include introducing your business to the public, emphasize the benefits they can enjoy when they purchase a product or service from your business, and lastly, encourage them to know more about your business by visiting your personal page.

Step 4 Circulate.

The more you mingle, the more exposure you gain for your business. Post a comment, rate photos or other kinds of content uploaded by other members, and try adding a new member now and then to your network.

Step 5 Evaluate feedback.

See which strategies you've employed helped you to make money from social networking and which ones that failed abysmally.

Step 6 Repeat steps 1 to 5 with a new social website.

There are a lot of them online and if you can join all these websites, your business can only benefit from it!