I am marketing director for a local music instruction business. I would love to harness the power of social networking sites to bring in more customers, but from what I understand, those sites are best used for when you have a business for the online community.

(Of course, I understand the HUGE companies using this form of marketing, and those looking for employment… but what about the small, brick and mortar?)

What do you all think?

Could you use your social networking sites on your business cards or marketing materials? The social networking site would allow “friends” of the business to have a fast and easy way to find you. Create social sites everywhere so you appeal to everyone’s preference (or at least as many as possible).

Send out weekly bulletins (like on myspace) or emails to your “friends” highlighting the accomplishments of the instructor’s students, or something that makes the “friend” curious enough to check out the website (make sure you can legally link the website to your bulletins).

Link your social networking sites to your business’s web page where you offer a newsletter written by the music instructor so s/he is easily remembered when a friend of your “friend” asks for a reference.

Of course, all of this STILL relies on actual footwork. You’ve GOT to get your marketing materials to the LOCAL outlets and people for any type of viral networking to start.

There’s my 2cents.