BusinessReport.com

When Jordan Piazza told his father that he and a friend had invited 900 people to the closing-night celebration for Phil’s Oyster Bar through the social networking Web site Facebook.com, Gus Piazza just laughed and asked, “Why?” Gus, owner of Phil’s, stopped laughing when more than 200 of Jordan’s friends showed up.

By sending out hundreds of Facebook invitations and creating a Phil’s Oyster Bar group comprising more than 400 members, Jordan and his friend Stephen Kenny, both 19-year-old Baton Rouge Community College freshmen, discovered how effective social networking Web sites can be for businesses trying to convey information to their customers.

“It’s such an easy way to way to get people invited to an event,” Jordan Piazza says. “If I sent invitations to 200 people and they send invitations to 200 people, it can’t help but be effective, more effective than calling, anyway.”

Phil’s Oyster Bar had been suffering for some time under the combined weight of a dwindling number of lunch customers and increased traffic on College Drive, which made the restaurant difficult to reach. When Gus Piazza’s health began to suffer, he decided it was time to retire. Phil’s closed its doors for the last time June 2, one day after its 32nd anniversary. More than 400 faithfuls came out to bid the restaurant a fond farewell, and Jordan Piazza says more than half could be traced directly to Facebook invitations.

Kenny, a former Phil’s busboy and co-leader of the restaurant’s online efforts, says the idea of creating the “One More for the Memories: Saying Goodbye to Phil’s Oyster Bar” Facebook group to publicize Phil’s closing came to him from similar events he had seen advertised. “I’ve seen Facebook ads for special events at bars, and I’ve even made a few groups before myself,” Kenny says. “But I’ve never seen it done to this magnitude.”

Keeping up with social networking sites like Facebook and the online behemoth MySpace.com has become part of the daily routine for tens of millions of people across the country. Add in the potential for free advertising and the ability to contact customers directly through the Web sites, and it comes as little surprise that a growing number of local business owners have seized the opportunity to create personalized profiles for their companies.

“We only set up our MySpace page a few weeks ago, and we’ve already sold three cars off it,” says Greg Glover, sales manager for Royal Nissan and Suzuki.

Royal Nissan and Suzuki’s profile has more than 158 people listed as friends, but Glover says he wants to increase that number in the near future by purchasing one of the many friend-adding programs available online. Glover says he envisions a profile with thousands of friends to whom he can send bulletins about upcoming sales and new cars as they arrive on the lot.

While Facebook, which began as a network strictly for college students, has added a number of features to appeal to older users and business owners, MySpace is still the social network to beat when it comes to name recognition and popularity.

Since its inception in 2003, MySpace has become one of the most frequently visited Web sites on the Internet, often giving Google and Yahoo! a run for their money. As the Web site grew, small-time bands and music venues were among the first to take full advantage of its seemingly anything-goes atmosphere and fervently dedicated users. But, as many Baton Rouge businesses have found, social networking Web sites are no longer just a way for 20-somethings to discuss music or to decide where the next Friday-night party will be. Many users have begun turning to the sites to find information about special events, product listings and job openings. And because creating a basic profile is free and only takes a few minutes, getting started is a relatively painless process when compared to launching a new Web site.

As a result, local businesses that have recently set up profiles come from diverse areas of the marketplace. Music venues still boast the highest number of friends, but restaurants, radio stations and art galleries have recently found MySpace to be an efficient way to advertise their businesses. In return, the informal nature of social networking sites seems to leave many users feeling more comfortable in sending messages or questions about a product to business owners through the Web site than via e-mail.

The ability to send thousands of bulletin advertisements with the click of a button has been by far the most attractive feature MySpace offers business owners. Because each bulletin also forwards an e-mail to account holders in a business’ friend group, and most users check their account routinely⎯some prefer the term “obsessively”⎯avoiding bulletins can be done, but not easily.

“We call it ‘MyCrack’ because it is so addictive,” says Blythe Earl, operations director for WRKF-FM. “People spend so much time on MySpace that they are constantly reminded about what is going on, and our events are constantly getting out there.”

Most accounts set up by businesses outside the entertainment industry in Baton Rouge are still finding their footing and trying to build their friend base. Music venues, however, have raised the bar for what a profile can offer as a conduit of information. Song clips, concert videos and detailed listings of drink specials and events have become standard fare for bars and clubs in Baton Rouge. Some venues have turned to MySpace for most, if not all, of their publicity needs.

“It’s one hell of a promotional tool,” says Aaron Scruggs, booking manager for Spanish Moon and CEO of the booking agency, Bullhorn Bandits. “I remember back when I was a rave promoter we had to set up a mailing list and have kids sign up, then stuff envelopes and pay for stamps. MySpace has made that aspect 100 folds easier.”

But despite its growing popularity, MySpace does have its flaws. The same features that have been so appealing to business owners have also been just as attractive to spammers.

“MySpace is becoming frustrating to use because I cannot log on without receiving six or seven friend requests from spammers. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons Facebook is becoming more popular,” says Jeremy White, publisher of Red Schtick magazine and Webmaster for its profile.