Hard to believe that we are thinking about 2011 as I really don’t know where 2010 went but as I have been thinking about my goals and where I want to head in 2011, I have discovered that I love social networking.  So I did some research and came up with some places that I tend to be in 2011.

Social Networking Sites for 2011 will be changing as some new ones appeared in 2010 and are becoming quite the place to hang out.  When looking for a social networking sites, you first need to ask yourself some questions.

Have you narrowed down your niche?

Do you know your target audience?

Do you know the basic skills for social networking?

If  you answered no to any of these questions then back up and get the answers before you start jumping into the social networking as you have to know these things.  You have to have a niche that you know something about, something that you can talk with others about, answer their questions and help them.

You need to know your TARGETED audience so that when you go to these social sites to start networking you can zoom in on the people that you need to know and not everyone out there.  What good is going to be to you in the long run if you have every Tom, Dick and Harry on your list and your target audience needs to be females.

AND please learn some social skills before getting started in the social networking sites – find a friend and practice.  Now I know this sounds crazy but this works.  What I like about social networking is that you have something to start with – their profile – it’s not like meeting someone on the street and you don’t know anything about them.  Take your time and do your homework – READ PROFILES

After all this, then where do you go and where will you find me in 2011 – here is what I have come up with as I did my research.  Some are old for me but there are some new ones that I want to share and why – because they are getting traffic – and how does a person know that – go to trusty old google and type in Alexia ranking and then each one of these sites.

1.  Facebook – well this should be no surprise to you as this one has been hot in 2010 and there are so many people on this site – but don’t rule out others.

2. Twitter – yea I know you think that you can do social networking on Twitter but I have found that if you don’t pitch your stuff all the time that you can really find some great people to chat with and add to your list.

3.  MySpace – oh I know I seen you roll your eyes when you seen that one – but despite what you might thing – there are lot of people that feel comfortable there and have been there since the beginning and love the changes that Myspace have made – so keep this door open.

4.  LinkedIn – this one I really like as this is a great place to connect with other business people and is known to be used the most by people at their day jobs (this is why you have to know your targeted audience)

5. Ning – I really like the NING sites as you can search for a site in your niche – then just copy and paste your profile to your new site that you have discovered – once you find that site, it’s easy to get in there and chat with people as they are in your niche and love chatting about the same thing that you do

6. Xing – This one I like because it business people meeting business people – sharing idea and tips with each other

7.  Yuwie – this is another one of those sites that have been around for awhile but I have also found that there are just some people that when they join a site they like they stick with it – I have gotten lot of leads from this site.

8.  Squidoo – now I know most of you don’t think of this as a social networking site but I have made great connections on this site also just by doing a search and writing goods lens on there.  This one a person can earn money with your lens as a bonus.

9.  Swom – another great social site that also pays upgraded members but I work this site as a free member and have also added to my list from here.

10.  Apsense – this site I really like for adding blog post and also a great site for rubbing shoulders with other business people – so if you are looking for like-minded people like you – take a look at this one.

Now you are wondering why in the world would a person set up so many profiles on so many social platforms – well I have always been one for not putting all my eggs in one basket – I also believe thinking outside the box and when it comes to social networking sites for 2011 – a person should be diversified.