Getting Started on Social Media for Business: Beginners

Posted December 15th, 2008 by Paddy 6 Comments »

We know using social media for your small business can seem a daunting task. Stick with us and we’ll get you through!

This is the first post of the Getting Started with Social Media series. It is written with the complete novice in mind so no one is left out. Hopefully by the time the series is complete, you will know exactly how to harness this super power.

The first thing we recommend is getting out there to see what’s going on. “Lurk” in a few of the media outlets (herein called “site/s”) and read a few blogs to get the general feel. Each site is different and caters to a diverse group of like-minded folks.

You may hear people say that Facebook is for college kids, LinkedIn is for snobby professionals, Twitter is for people that talk too much, MySpace is for obnoxious teenagers and bands, StumbleUpon (et al) is for information nerds etc… The truth is you’ll find every kind of person on every kind of site. Often, you’ll see the same people with accounts on multiple sites. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be connected!

As you navigate through the sites, try to find the people that are doing business. What are they saying? If they’re using the sites correctly, you may have trouble (at first) seeing how it applies to their company. Because social media is not about lambasting anyone and everyone with your advertising, you will see that people are out there connecting with one another, talking about their families, friends, weekend activities etc… You’ll often see a link to a cool site or an updated blog post. Every once in a while you might see a link to a special offer on products or services.

These guys and gals are building a following and developing themselves as credible sources on the chosen topic they represent. They are not greasy salespeople waiting to pounce on your vulnerability.

Assignment

Your first assignment is to “lurk”. Find a few industry/interest-related blogs and read through the archives (old posts) and read comments. Subscribe to an e-newsletter or blog to get frequent updates. Use Twellow to find Twitter users that might interest you and visit some Facebook pages. Essentially, get out there and see what’s going on without you!

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss the next installment of Getting Started with Social Media!

Part Two

6 Responses to “Getting Started on Social Media for Business: Beginners”

odxFusion is Boosting Your Brand on the Internet Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
[...] This is Part 2 in the Getting Started on Social Media series. If you just got here, see Part One here. [...]
odxFusion is Boosting Your Brand on the Internet Says:
January 6th, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] of Getting Started with Social Media for Business Series. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 and Part [...]
odxFusion is Boosting Your Brand on the Internet Says:
March 10th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
[...] want to take a break from the Getting Started on Social Media for Business series for a moment even though this goes right along with it. The uncertainty in the Small [...]
Boosting Your Brand on the Internet - ODX Fusion Says:
March 11th, 2009 at 1:07 am
[...] of Getting Started with Social Media for Business Series. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 and Part [...]
Boosting Your Brand on the Internet - ODX Fusion Says:
March 11th, 2009 at 1:09 am
[...] This is Part 2 in the Getting Started on Social Media series. If you just got here, see Part One here. [...]
Why You Don't Use Internet Marketing and Social Media | Boosting Your Brand on the Internet - ODX Fusion Blog Says:
July 16th, 2009 at 1:56 am
[...] world out there and you have no idea how to get started. Check out our recent series of posts on Getting Started on Social Media for Beginners. If you don’t want to hire someone to help you, you’re going to have to look around to [...]