Today’s economic conditions have businesses scaling back on advertising dollars and exploring alternative means of generating exposure for their business. Many businesses, jan/san distributors included, are turning to no-cost social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to increase their Web site traffic, create new business opportunities and even generate leads.

On Facebook, distributors can post photos and videos of new products, product information, and even include a link to their own online catalog. In fact, by taking advantage of Facebook’s features, distributors have been able to generate sales.

When it comes to Twitter, distributors find this site helpful in announcing specials and new products. However, distributors are limited to only 140 characters. Distributors who use Twitter find it most effective to accompany a “tweet” with a link that brings a potential customer to their Web site.

LinkedIn, however, works a little differently. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is mainly used for professional networking. So, distributors can use this site to find business opportunities, post job openings, look for potential employees and establish new business relationships. Distributors can also join LinkedIn Groups to follow market trends.