Translation

There is so much swirling hype and posts (including mine) about how to utilize social media, that it can be honestly overwhelming at times.  Many small businesses are unsure, and probably at this point, not all that interested in digging into all the hype and fanfare around Twitter and Facebook. 

When I was first trying to wrap my head around how to use these tools to accomplish business objectives, it was helpful for me to breakdown social media to its core offering.  So, as an example, I will use a friendly neighborhood hardware store.  So, say you are the owner, and a customer comes in just to look around and see what you have to offer.  Your engagement with that person is likely to be friendly, engaging, conversational and informational.  You are likely to seek out what they are looking to accomplish, what their ideas are and where their pain points reside.  Over time, you may even get to know this individual on a personal level and chat about the family, politics, perhaps sports, and so on.

To take into context with social media, it is not much different.  The only major difference is that you have the option to engage your entire following at one time, or if you wish, just chat up individuals just as you would in your store.  Social media simply changes your medium of exchange.  But if you can't wrap your head around "well, what would I even say?"; just think about your normal day-to-day engagements.  Think about the types of advice and knowledge you share with your customers on a regular basis.  Social media is simply a way to engage your customers when they are not interacting with you directly.  And if you are perceived as adding value to their online experience, your customers will usually come back and bring more with them.