In a marketing conversation with a friend, I stated that social media itself is pretty straightforward: It’s all about communication and relationships. People do business with people they like, and they can get to know you better through social media vehicles. They can also keep up with you on a personal level, if you choose.
The confusing part of social media is figuring out the applications. You can easily get overwhelmed and spend a lot of time determining which app works with which network, can they work together, why aren’t they working the way I want, etc.
I told my friend, “If you want a great workshop topic, do one focused on the applications themselves. That’s what people really need to get started in social media.” We both agreed that this is an area where even the most determined of us can get discouraged and give up on taking social media for a spin.
I recently attended the Social Media Success Summit 2009 and learned from some of the nation’s top experts. Mari Smith was one of the instructors. She is a fantastic resource and truly generous about sharing information.
Here’s a great article with tips on some of the best tools to get you started in Twitter and Facebook. I’m using a few myself and checking out a few others. I hope this encourages you to try the different applications to decide what you fits you best. Having the right tools in place can make your social media experience enjoyable and fun!
http://www.marismith.com/simplify-facebook-and-twitter-with-the-abcs-of-social-media/
Wishing you a Refreshing and Productive Day (and a relaxing weekend!)…
June 29, 2009 at 3:46 am
Michelle – you rock! Many thanks for this lovely post and your kind words. Two thumbs way up for helping spread the word about social media for good!!!