Getting started with social media can be intimidating. There are thousands of social media tools and networks, and it’s hard to know where to start. And more social media sites are popping up everyday.
I think the best thing to do is start with the basics to get your feet wet and see how it goes. Set up a Facebook page for your business. Get on Twitter. Start a Digg account. All of these take only moments to set up. The real time investment comes in figuring out how to use them to best support your business.
But you have to learn by doing. Watch what other people do, and take notice of other social sites they may mention. Then start to get involved in those if you think they would benefit your business.
Once you learn to navigate those sites, you have to start listening to what people have to say about your company. SmartBlog on Social Media says that the three basic steps for anyone starting out in social media are to listen, respond and initiate your own conversations.
It seems simple enough, but it really does take time and effort to learn about social media and make it work for you business.
-Abbey
aswank@igpr.com
