A lot of companies and businesses are starting to use social networking sites for a variety of marketing techniques.
Think about it: you take a trip to MySpace, and you can find everything from musicians, comedians, and writers, to home businesses and people who are self employed, to big league companies who are trying to get their names and their products out there.
There are an increasing number of them, actually, because social networks themselves have been getting a lot of attention lately.
The problem is that some of the users on sites like MySpace and Facebook are starting to resent the fact that businesses are encroaching on their "territory" - but that is only when the companies and businesses in question are not respectful about the way they set up their social networking profiles and how they market their products and services.
One way to ensure that you do not receive any backlash when you try social network marketing is to respect privacy.
The "regular" users do not want you all up in your business, and as proven by the recent Facebook debacle, they resent attempts to invade their privacy.
They do not appreciate it when people who are marketing on these sites try to befriend and get to know them solely to pull in their business.
You will get a lot further if you are personable and generally interested.
You also have to be honest.
People do not like to be lied to, especially when their money is involved.
Marketing is all about respect; that is true in real life, and it is true on the Internet as well, no matter which of the social networking sites you belong to - you make more sales with you are forthcoming and respectful.
Comment to people, invite them into your groups, show some interest in them as people - or at least as users - and not just as potential buyers.