B2B Social Network Cyfler Targets Cash-Strapped Entrepreneurs, Startups, Freelancers

New business-to-business (B2B) social network Cyfler was borne out of the need for entrepreneurs to finance their businesses and ideas, and aims to solve the fundamental problems that cash-strapped startups and micro-entrepreneurs experience when it comes to getting user traction and engagement online. Cyfler is an online graphic-oriented listing platform that enhances B2B connectivity with the aim of enhancing business development practices by integrating it with social media tools and discovery engine.

Regardless of the ideas, passion, products and services which might be always there, budget-conscious start-ups will have to carefully consider their strategies when it comes to marketing activities such as communication, promotion and branding. It’s quite disappointing to find one’s site listed at the last pages of Google, Yahoo or Bing.

While most social networks jump into Business-to-Consumer (B2C) downstream models — where companies focus all their efforts on getting subscribers, fans, followers or increasing number of “Likes” — only a few play in the B2B social networking space, with upstream business connectivity.

Building a website and getting top rank at major search engines will usually require a lot of money and effort. Business listings such as Yellow Pages or PanPages may not help that much, since their text-based platforms are not interactive.

The main feature of the Cyfler platform is its Web-Billboard named Bilbo. It provides an interactive profile interface, connects with major social media sites, and utilizes multimedia features to highlight products or services offered.

The intelligent B2B discovery engine ecosystem allows firms to engage in a digital marketing platform in an efficient and effective manner, so that users can effectively tap into social channels in finding more business opportunities.

Moreover, Cyfler utilizes the concepts of a discovery engine commonly seen on major social media sites and advanced web stores such as Amazon or iTunes. The platform allows entrepreneurs, business owners and even freelancers to connect with potential partners through recommendations that the site automatically provides.

For instance, users will see opportunities based on what the system thinks they need. These include “Opportunities for you to Connect” or “Friends whom you may know.” With social media integration, business owners will likewise have easy access to information from sites such as Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn dished out in a single dashboard.  It’s easy to configure, and it showcases a comprehensive presentation.

Meanwhile, with Bilbo, users can get maximum reach and exposure by sharing content with numerous social media platforms, and link or embed entire videos and pictures to enhance searchability.

Like any other dashboard, Bilbo is equipped with a graphic-rich user interface that users are likely to find enticing and enjoyable. The engine itself acts like a brain and will continuously crawl and search for opportunities based on the needs and offers posted by other users.

The service also allows business owners to proactively engage with prospective customers, suppliers and business partners. The approach is slightly different with mainstream networks. Vendors can reach out to clients so the respective clients will be able to choose which vendors to partner with through the “Deal Room” messaging feature.

Since its launch in November 2011, a number of Philippines businesses have fully utilized the intelligent engine. Start-ups, freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs or specialists who desire to achieve marketing effectiveness and business operations optimally with lean resources may want to try this free platform.