Social Media is all the Rage - Are you Tweeting?

It seems that you can't go online without being inundated by all the social media hype these days. It is certainly the rage among marketers and small business owners who are looking for a way to get their name out there. The biggest benefit of social media is that it costs nothing - except time.

The problem - at least in my opinion - is that there are so many conflicting and confusing messages about how social media should be used. While most of us understand that we need to be involved in social media - the hard part is getting started. Once you have started - how do you maintain it?

The best advice that I've heard is to use social media as a tool to let prospects know that you are an expert in your industry. I think many times people approach social media as an advertising tool. Advertising and marketing messages are everywhere and the last thing most of us want to see or hear is another advertisement.

Instead, use sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp and so many others as a way to share advice, post links to relevant or helpful articles within your industry, and most importantly - start a conversation. The more people see you as an expert, the more likely they are to think of you when your service is needed.