The fascination with social media continues to be very strong. Everyone from small business owners, sole traders, struggling creative people to multi-nationals, government departments and public institutions want to be part of the social conversation.

This is a great achievement but like many forms of practice, a little knowledge can go a long way. So I have pulled together some thoughts from active discussions held on the topic of social media almost two years ago. I am sure that you will still find this information relevant, enjoy.

Let’s begin. It is all about you, your name and your online presence. Try to use the same picture across the social networks and become visible online.

Social media is also about the connections. Find people who are relevant to your field of interest, connect with old colleagues, school friends and people you admire.

One interesting trick is to look through old conferences and events to go through the attendee list to see who is operating within a particular network. You can also use the search functions for future events to track the latest news and conversations.

Try to say something interesting in response to other people’s comments. Also comment on blog posts and link back to your own social media accounts.

When writing a blog, it can be useful for the reader to read about the tension that occurs when blogging. Opinions add value and don’t apologise for your own views. Create real value through longer posts.

Pick a new social platform that interests you every so often to stay ahead of the curve but remember to review the site after a month using the site to see whether you are gaining engagement. Always look at what is working well, where are the gaps, and what information can I gain from this site.

There is no time like the present, so get involved now. Your online presence should be a daily activity and for the more active users, hourly.

Groups are a good place to start; there are many online groups, forums and discussion sites so start searching to find the people who have the same interests that you have. Look at the difference between Google groups, Yahoo groups and Facebook groups.

Social media is a global project connecting people locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

What to do in social media!

Sell your skills – most people do not really like talking about selling so maybe another way of looking at it is share your skills with others around you. Give the right content to the right audience. Think about the tone, words, language, and style or your presentations.

Think about casual readers – how do you grab their attention. Think about the use of pictures. Use language which is casual, informal and easy to read. Think about who is going to read it as they are your audience.

Social media is not about lectures so try to not just give dry facts. Tell stories in a more engaging way by using personal stories which are far more compelling. It is also a good idea to provide links and references in blog posts.

One of the most powerful aspects of the social web is the ability to get instant feedback from your network. If you have a problem, ask for help. Ask the same question in different places and see the magic work for you.

Think of a system to share ideas whilst creating posts and get involved in conversations and discussions. This will allow you to get to know the community. Find the things that you share in common with other people around you to build credit and create goodwill.

Five things to remember!

• You have to build your online presence
• Relate with other people through your interests
• Experiment online – join groups, be transparent, try everything once
• Engage in conversations – stop, look, listen then dive right in
• Social media is all about your experience on you time!