Social Media…WOW.…. how these two words hold so many meanings! A buzz marketing term? An exciting platform to connect with your target market on? A term that confuses you?..or maybe overwhelms you? A concept you are eager to hear more about? So many meanings are added to these two words with many emotions attached to them!

It’s a super Sunday, and I planned to write a super special post on “The power of using video in your business”. However, due to the amount of  “ HELP ME mail”  I received on Facebook and Twitter this week, I have chosen to listen to my audience (as any good business owner does).   In this post, I aim to shed some sunlight and inner calm on this whole Social Media thing! 

Before I answer by far the most popular question asked this week (” Where do I start with Social Media..I’m confused? “), I feel it’s best to give you a few definitions.

•  The super social savvy Brian Solis shares that “Social Media is, at its most basic sense, a shift in how people discover, read, and share news, information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologue (one to many) into dialog (many to many.)” 

• ” Social media is a type of online media that expedites conversation as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but doesn’t allow readers/viewers/listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content” claims Susan Ward

• And me….Sam Mutimer’s definition :-) – “ Social is the communication, interaction and relationship building part of the process.  Media is the platform in which these conversations, interactions and relationships take place (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, FriendFeed ). It’s just like the old media  - newspapers, magazines, radio and television, however the new part to this media is using some of the platforms I have mentioned above to communicate your message”.

One more definition if you are still a little hazy, from the trusty Wikipedia -   Social Media Wikipedia

So where to start within your own business? I say, as my old PE teacher used to harp on about  “keep it simple”. Take one step at a time and start to build up your connections and platforms at your own speed. There is no race here ( I have only just learnt this!). Do what’s best for you, with the time you have available. Anything is better than nothing!  If  you already have a blog set up, then good on you! I would say you are in front of many business owners in Australia. For those of you that haven’t…..this would be an ace place to start! Blogs are a fantastic place to begin.

To give you just a few benefits in short :

1. Blogs give a personal touch to your business as they are usually a more friendly place to connect with your target market,  as opposed to a colder website platform.

2. They can help to place you as an expert in your field, building up trust, confidence and a fan base for your brand/personal brand!

3. Search engines LOVE blogs and you can get a nice little ranking in places such as Google.

There are many more benefits of having a blog and I will go into more depth in the ” Why blog for business?”  post.  My favourite reason to blog is to share some great content and I hope to enthuse, energise and empower small business owners to get excited about web2.0! Its power to the people at last and we all have the opportunity to grow here in a cost effective and fun manner!

Are you a little clearer now? Click the comments section below to share your feedback! I’m pumped to read your thoughts! Whoop whoop!

High fives…. to your Social Media super success!