In today's Brain Storm! business podcast, we will discuss the different ways to find the business contacts you need - via online social networking sites.

There are different ways to build your network and find valid contacts, and this Inc. article from the December 2006 issue has some great information to offer. Some of the sites you can check out are:

• Jigsaw, Ziggs, ZoomInfo, Spoke
• LinkedIn, Ryze, BranchIt, CompanyClick
• Leads.com, Ingenio, eStara
• Eloqua, ExactTarget, VerticalResponse
• Before the Call
• Landslide, ShareMethods
• Silverpop, Epsilon Interactive, Constant Contact
• Vontoo, VoiceShot

Some of these sites offer an "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" approach.

You upload so many contacts, so you can download so many contacts. Or you can pay about $1/contact at one site, which I don't think is bad at all.

The social networking sites, like LinkedIn, help you contact the people that you need to meet.

However, it has to be done via introductions from people that you know first hand. You can't just contact anyone, like you can at Ryze.

So if you want to make the most of your new year, find out who are the go-to people in your target market, or possible collaborators for joint ventures.

Let me know if what you think of them, and which, if any you prefer.

In the meanwhile, the Business Podcasting Expo (BizPodExpo.com) is getting ready to crank up.

You can join us for a great group of business seminars on a huge range of topics. If you are interested in learning how to start your own podcast, you can find out introductory information for that as well. I hope to meet with you during the Expo - all attendees get a data DVD of all of the recorded sessions as well!

Lastly, if you are interested in owning your own niche market Podcast Directory, check out http://www.PodcastDirectories4Sale.com.

You can find out how the Directories make passive income via advertising and network memberships.

• Only one directory is sold per niche market, so there is no competition between Directories.
  
• That allows us to cross promote each other on the Directories.
  
• The Directories also come with a simple one-step branded podcatcher to match your Directory.

I'd love to have you as a part of our family of Podcast Directories.

I have a list of other Podcast Directory domain names I have already purchased, and will transfer with each Directory.

Happy New Year to all of you, and may your brainstorms become reality in 2007!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing

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Click here to listen to the podcast.