While there is no definite and authoritative list of the top 10 social networking sites in the world, there are plenty of social networking sites that are hugely popular and have millions of users from around the world. But for business owners and online entrepreneurs, the question remains: can these top 10 social networking sites be really useful for you, or are they simply a waste of time.

Actually, many businesses, both large and small, now have a presence on social networks. Social media marketing is a big sub set of internet marketing and is done by a lot of people, from the top marketers who make millions of dollars in sales each year, to newcomers in the industry that are just starting out. A such, anyone can profit from social media, if they simply do it properly.

What Are the Top 10 Social Networking Sites?

If you search online for the top 10 social networking sites you will find that there are many websites that have a top list of social networks and that do reviews of them. However, there is no central authority which ranks social networking websites and assigns them a grade, so any “top lists” that you see are simply reflections of the site owner's opinion, even though certain factual elements are often taken in to account when making these lists, like the amount of users and the overall quality of the site.

But if you check out many lists of top 10 social networking sites, you will see that there are many names which often come up. These are:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Google+

• LinkedIn

• Myspace
• Friendster
• Yelp
• Youtube
• Bebo
• hi5
• And then some

These are the main social networks in use today and they are, unsurprisingly, among the most visited websites of the entire internet. Still, you need to consider that while there are many similarities between different social networking sites, they have their differences as well.

Let's take a look at Facebook: it is the most popular social networking site in the world and is actually the second most visited website after the Google search engine. It is basically a “general purpose” social network, allowing people to stay in touch with those they care about and share some information. It also has some pretty unique features to it, such as Fan Pages, as well as many different apps and games.

Twitter, on the other hand, is slightly different than other social networking sites. While its purpose is still to connect with your friends and family members, many people see it more as a communication tool than a site to socialize with others. Twitter is a micro blogging service that allows users to say what's on their minds in short messages of 140 characters or less.

Which of the Top 10 Social Networking Sites Should I Use?

Once again, there is no clear answer here, as every user's needs would be unique. So if you want a site that would allow you to interact well with your customers and potential customers, you should definitely create a Facebook page for your business and build a presence there. If you want to network and connect with other entrepreneurs, the business social networking site LinkedIn would be your best bet.

When it comes to spreading your online presence around, using social media is a great idea. For that, you should create a page for your business on all of the social networks that you find will go well with what you are trying to do online. This includes some of the smaller social networks that are not quite as big as Facebook or Twitter. It costs nothing to create a social media page, so you might as well take every opportunity that you have to promote your business for free on line. So don't hesitate to join the sites on the list of top 10 social networking sites, as it could very well be the smartest move that you make for your business.

P.S. Did you find this article useful? Leave your feedback in the comment box below. For more details on social networking sites and how they can be used in your business, you are welcome to check out the rest of my site and just fill in the form in the upper right to learn more about marketing. The top 10 social networking sites won't do much for you if you don't know what to do with them.