There are dozens of online social media websites. Here is a guide to the most popular sites, which networking experts say could form the basis of your social media strategy:

> Facebook (www.facebook.com). Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook Inc.’s site has more than 400 million active users, with 50% of them logging in daily. The site started off as a way for university and college students to keep in touch, but now includes people around the world of all ages, including professionals, businesses and other large organizations.

By setting up a personal page called a “profile,” you can share your professional, personal and contact information, as well as pictures and videos. Your information can be viewed by people you approve as “friends.” Businesses can create profiles called “fan pages,” for which anyone can sign up without approval from the administrator.

“You can reach members of specific demographic groups through Facebook,” says Livia Grujich, co-founder and managing director of Toronto-based OnQ Communications Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in social media.

The site allows you to search for people using multiple criteria such as name, city, age and sex.



> LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). Known as the “professional version of Facebook,” Mountain View, Calif.-based LinkedIn Corp.’s site is the largest social media site for business professionals. Users post their resumés, connect with other users, called “connections,” look for jobs or recruit new employees. Since its start in 2003, LinkedIn has attracted 65 million users.

“LinkedIn is about leveraging the contacts you already have,” says Grujich.

Most social networking sites are free of charge. A personal LinkedIn account is free, but professional accounts cost $25 to $500 a month.



> Twitter (www.twitter.com). San Francisco-based Twitter Inc.’s site allows users to participate in real-time conversations by posting “tweets” or short blogs of 140 characters or less.

Members who subscribe to another member’s tweets are called “followers.” Twitter members include individuals, news organizations and celebrities. The site works best for businesses that don’t have a lot of time to blog or would like to post opinions on current events, says Andray Domise, financial advisor with Toronto-based International Capital Management.

Since Twitter’s inception in 2006, its membership has grown to 106 million members today, with 300,000 new members signing on daily. A study by Camden, N.J.-based RJMetrics Inc. suggests 40% of Twitter accounts are inactive. Still, the firm says, the site’s popularity and influence cannot be ignored.

— OLIVIA GLAUBERZON