Connection: The most basic benefit to social networking is the ability to connect or reconnect with family and friends. You are able to see instantaneously what family happenings are occurring. Pictures, videos and announcements are easily updated, and you are never left with a feeling of being uninformed. Happy birthday wishes, baby announcements and wedding pictures are posted through social networking and not sent through the mail anymore.

Promotion: social networking should be used to promote yourself. If you are also a business owner, then you should be using it to advertise your company, too. "I tell my college students that branding yourself is very important," Regina said. Create a visual, online portfolio of your education, accomplishments and pictures of yourself. Make sure your avatar image on social networking is professional and your links and comments reflect your areas of interest.

No matter how small your business, you should have a separate social networking Fanpage established. A Fanpage does not limit you to 5,000 friends, unlike a personal page, and allows you to promote your business on social networking.

Networking: In this economy you should have established a presence on social networking just to keep your networking current. social networking allows you to reach out to friends, former bosses and coworkers and to keep informed about potential job opportunities. "I have helped companies in the past find employees by just posting an announcement in my status. It is amazing how fast the word spreads on social networking," Regina said.

Awareness: social networking can become your best source of news. By joining Fanpages and Groups that reflect your interests, you are able to get a constant stream of individualized information to your news stream and your phone. "I find out about marketing news, local news and weather all from my social networking newsfeed," she noted.

"Social networking offers so many unique benefits that individuals and companies should be easily and freely taking advantage of to help make their lives and companies more efficient. The first social media site you should investigate is social networking. The opportunities to learn and communicate and are endless." Said Regina, who also owns the Washington Township-based marketing firm The Marketing of Everything.