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Social Media by Lena Claxton and Alison Woo

Fri, 10/17/2008

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One of the great revolutions in technology came when the web went from mostly a monologue to a conversation. This paradigm shift, often called Web 2.0, relies on readers to post content, photos and comments. From the dawn of this user-generated idea, sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the current favorite, Twitter, were born. Now more than 70 million people use a social networking site every day.

Whether you own a small or large business, an author, an entrepreneur, solopreneur, boompreneur or want to help your church or non profit organization get the word out about what you do in a natural way, harnessing the power of social media is a powerful tool.

With so many social media sites out there the key questions to ask is: What is your goal?

a. If you're trying to find the largest global group with unique interests and groups, then Facebook might be your best bet.
b. If you want to build a group of professional advisors who can offer you advice, insight, and professional contacts, then LinkedIn may be a better fit for your needs.
c. If you are looking for a hip, fast, and cutting-edge way to boost brand awareness, then Twitter may be just right.

The key thing is you want to be where your target audience is. Here's how to get more out of the current social media platforms.

Facebook

Facebook has emerged as the leader in the social media field. Its popularity lies in its ease of use and the thousands of applications that work to make each Facebook page a unique site for its millions of users. It's easy to begin. Go to www.facebook.com, start a profile, comb through your existing address book and add friends. Supercharge your site by joining groups that align your business. What kind of groups would your customers, clients, prospects or readers join? Contribute to the conversation or start your own thread. You can even start your own group.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become a well-regarded site for professional networking. If you're a writer looking for an agent, you can type in the phrase ‘literary agent' and you might be amazed how many people you know are connected to people who might be able to help you. Since we are now moving from the Information Age to the Recommendation Age, LinkedIn's online introductions may be just the way to get your foot in the door with some fascinating people. Long seen as a corporate building tool, this site has recently added an "Answers" feature where you can ask questions to your own professional network or a general audience. This is also a great place for business owners who want to position themselves as an expert in their field.

Twitter

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that asks one question: "What are you doing now?" You respond in 140 characters or less. Writers are using it to create a platform of built-in readers for their work. In keeping with this new paradigm shift of collaborating online, some writers are experimenting with writing their books - one tweet at a time (posts on Twitter are referred to as "tweets.") If potential readers are intrigued then they begin to follow your tweets which is similar to becoming a friend on Facebook.

Authors are also using Twitter to promote their completed books and many professionals, from artists to zoologists are using it to: