Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter aren’t just for posting photos of college beer fests. They have become a powerful marketing tool that, if used correctly, can drive business to your website and translate into sales.

The keyword here is used correctly. People who use social networking sites don’t want to feel like they are being used by a company that is simply trying to make money.

Remember what social networking sites are and what their purpose is: to make friends, get in touch with old friends, and connect people who have a common interest.

To that end, social media can work if you’re subtle with your marketing efforts. While people who use social networking sites may claim they don’t want to be marketed to, a large number of users are doing just that. For example, every politician running for office will have a MySpace and Facebook account. All bands, whether they are nationally or locally known, will also perform there, as will artists and authors. What are they doing there but promoting themselves?

It’s hard to resist a captive audience of millions who are all online and could be potential customers. If you don’t have an account with one or all three and you have a business, you could be losing customers, all with money to spend.

First of all, for the true newbie, we will give you a brief introduction to each social networking site. Facebook was developed by college students as a place for students to post photos and keep in touch. It caught on and is now used by millions of people across the country, including boomers and businesses. Basically you get a profile page and start adding friends. While it doesn’t happen overnight, you may eventually have a significant number of people who are now your target market audience.

Facebook has several features that are the dream of marketers. For one, it’s free. It allows its users to upload videos, news, start fun contests, etc., which can drive viewers to your profile and customers to your website.

MySpace is one of the most popular marketing tools because it is so flexible. It allows the user to build a fully customizable web page, including links to your company’s website. For example, if you sell sporting goods, make your My Space account primarily sports-focused. You can change it according to which teams are doing well or which sport is heading into your season.

Twitter is another network that is becoming fashionable because it is fast and some are finding it addictive. The idea of ​​Twitter is to send quick updates (you only have 140 characters per message) to family and friends about what you’re up to. Posts are limited to a few lines and you can receive updates from your friends. Twitter can be used as a fun business tool because you can send your sales people quick updates to let them know what you’re up to. Do you have a potential client? You can tweet them about new products or opportunities or big announcements. And then your friends can reply to you on Twitter about what they’re up to.