Explaining Social Media for Business on One Foot

The relatively new social media site Quora.com focuses on asking and answering questions in different topic areas.



I've been answering questions in the social media area, and a recurring question (couched differently by different people) is how to get across social media for business in a few minutes or with one site or with one brief explanation.

Although dependent on the specific question, my answers have centered on the concept that social media cannot be explained in a few minutes (the equivalent of explaining while standing on one foot).

The power of harnessing social media for business has to be experienced over a learning curve until people who are committed to grasping the power reach their individual aha! moment.

For some people this aha! moment comes on LinkedIn; for others with Facebook Pages (formerly called fan pages and incorrectly called fan pages by an article in the May 19th Wall Street Journal).

Then there is the challenge of Twitter, which is trickier than it appears at first and more powerful than it appears at first.

One social media question on Quora asked which site a business should start with. The first person who answered the question said Twitter.

Although Twitter is currently my favorite social media site, I disagreed and recommended LinkedIn. This professional social media site provides the opportunity for a business person to showcase his or her credentials in an interactive resume format. Then once the person's profile is established, a company profile can be added as well as company products and services.

One person contacted me directly through social media to say she is reluctant to create a Facebook Page for her business. Given the huge numbers of people worldwide on Facebook, I cannot imagine what her reluctance is.

The same Wall Street Journal article that mislabeled Facebook Pages featured how retailers are creating stores on Facebook itself.

This prompted my business partner and I to use the static html app to create a "store" tab for our social media videos on our newest Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/millermosaicsocialmedia (see "3-part how-to social media video series" on left-hand side of the Page under the logo photo).

If your business is not yet taking advantage of the opportunities on social media, what is holding you back? Trust me, your competitors are on social media.

And if you want step-by-step help with setting up an effective Twitter profile, see the Miller Mosaic FREE report at www.MillerMosaicPowerof3.com with step-by-step explanations.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) is the co-founder of the social media marketing company Miller Mosaic LLC.

Get the free information "8 Social Media Marketing Mistakes" and "Social Media Marketing Does Not Magically Work; You Have to Work It" at www.facebook.com/millermosaicsocialmedia