You and I follow very parallel paths, as I have been dipping my big toe in the social networking waters over the last eight weeks. With one toe in, I am already convinced of the value of social networking.

This month, unique visitors to my blog reached an all-time high. My April Publici-Tea™ event was attended by a guest who learned about me and my expertise at http://www.biznik.com. My profile at MySpace has generated hundreds of new visits to the blog.

Speaking of which, I attended a “How to network the BizNik way” session earlier this week, and the founders of that site have deep passion for building an extraordinary community. And, the SEO experts they have working behind the scenes are helping BizNik members enjoy fabulous visibility in the search engines.

Just “Google” the term “business networking” and see how highly ranked this site is. Since 75% of the benefits of this site are available to BizNik members for free, the downside risk of joining is zero, and the upside is huge.

I say, jump into the right online business networking pools and see how far the splash can take you and your business. For me, the water has been fine!

I think social networking is a great way to connect with people–without the added hassle of getting dressed up and going to an event.

For me, it’s another way of being visible by posting articles and putting your name out there. And there’s even the potential to pick up paying work. I landed a website project because a web designer saw my profile on Facebook, so I know it’s possible. It may not happen every time, but it is possible.