Want to know what's hot at the High Point Market Fall 2008? Follow me on Twitter.

This week, I am going to conduct a live experiment on helping all of my readers understand the BUSINESS value of social networking. As many of you know, this is a field in which my company- The Kaleidoscope Partnership- specializes, but I also realize that the only thing many of my readers know about social networking is the fact that their kids use MySpace for all kinds of crazy connections.

Many of my readers don’t know what it is, really, yet and they don’t understand how to use it to build revenue for their businesses. So, I am going to give everyone who’s interested a “real time” tutorial while I’m here for market this week in High Point.

First, a definition. Social networking is simply the forming of an online community of people who share common interests. That’s it. Very simple. Now, different social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter allow their users to share different types of information, but most of them allow you to share pictures (think new product offerings or great designs your sales designers have completed), post comments (how about that special event at your store or the sale you have going on for just three days only?) and connect with like minded people (how about being able to connect with all product designers with experience in lighting  or retail store managers in a specific geo area who are looking for a job?). This is what these sites allow you to do -and so much more-WHEN THEY ARE USED FOR BUSINESS. And, best of all, they are FREE.

So, here’s the experiment. Please do this-it is super easy. You don’t have to fill out a profile with this site and you will be able to see, in real time, what I am saying about what I am seeing and experiencing at market-in real time.

Go to www.twitter.com. Some of you may already be on it. GREAT. Please search on twitter for “tkpleslie” and request to follow me.

If you’re not familiar with twitter yet-and most people aren’t so don’t feel left out (although it is now used by over 2.4 million people in the US and growing at an 80% adoption rate every six months!) it is simply a “microblogging” tool that allows you to add value to the people who are following you. You sign up-takes one minute and it’s free. Then, you write “twitters” which are tiny posts that answer the question, “What are you doing right now?” You can only write 140 words at a time. That’s it. That’s why it’s called “microblogging.”

Now, when you sign up, you can go in and invite people to follow you or you can follow others. The protocol is to follow those people who follow you. DON’T USE IT to let people know about every inconsequential thing you’re doing… once in a while is ok, but the real business value is in ADDING VALUABLE BUSINESS INFORMATION to your followers ” information stream” -yes, this is what it’s called in the social networking world.

Here is the real time experiment this week: If you will request to follow me on twitter, I will show you in real time here at market how I can add value to your business every day by pointing out the best product introductions, the best events, info about attendance, and anything else that I think you may want to know. I will post as often as I can which, with twitter, can be every minute, but I won’t do that!

However, if there is breaking news that I hear about first, you will know about it by following me on twitter!

Now, as you follow my “tweets”, imagine how fast you could disseminate information, too–whether you’re a manufacturer or retailer. All for free, all in real time.

Twitter is a social networking tool adapted to the mobile market which is why it is growing in adoption rates so fast. You can text message “tweets” to anyone, at any time, on your phone. Reps, sales consultants, industry contacts, etc. They see the “tweet” right away on their phone.

Twitter is an amazing tool when used properly for buildiing the value of your business proposition for people who are “following your tweets.” Get started now by following me on twitter as I educate my readers on how to connect the dots and make the world of social networking less scary and more relevant to your ability to drive revenue- inexpensively.

For more information on social networking, please go the articles I’ve been writing for Furniture World magazine on online retailing which are archived in their marketing section at www.furninfo.com.