I came to work for Blue Sky Factory less than one year after I completed my undergraduate college program. Finishing school and entering the corporate world was quite a shock, in more ways than one. During my college experience, the social networking site Facebook exploded. Just 5 years ago, many people may not have known about Facebook. Nowadays, it seems impossible that someone might not have at least heard of it. After graduating from college, I continued to Facebook faithfully. Like many other young professionals, I was using Facebook to keep up with friends without having to make that dreaded phone call, look at their photos and post my own, and keep tabs on people from the past.

Within my first month of working at Blue Sky Factory under our CEO, Greg Cangialosi, I learned that social networking communities could be used as a marketing tool and not just to keep up with old friends. I observed our company’s branding consistently grow through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I had never thought of the possibility of using social networking to build professional relationships, not to mention increase business exposure and branding! Not only does Greg use his personal page on Facebook to network and communicate with other professionals in the industry, there is a completely separate page for Blue Sky Factory.

The page features everything about our company that anyone would need to know - from our company’s overview, to upcoming events and recent blog updates. The page is maintained as a marketing vehicle and notes are frequently added regarding company news, stories from our monthly newsletter (Factory Direct), and other BSF updates. We use the page to not only educate people about our company and industry, but we also keep it up-to-date with information that people can use and that will keep them coming back. Our employees, clients and others who have an interest in our company are “fans” of the Blue Sky Factory page. To check out the BSF page or become a fan, click here. You can see who’s a fan of the page (maybe someone you know?), top stories, events, notes, and discussions.

As a new addition to the company, it is important for me to stay on top of the latest technologies and branding opportunities. I have learned that what I use in my personal life can be leveraged in the workplace as well. As more and more professionals and businesses join Facebook and other social networking sites, we will continue to see marketing opportunities present themselves in places we may not have thought of before, but that make perfect sense.