Social Media - What is it?

I started a blog in February of this year and while I had been reading blogs for a while, felt no need to start my own. When I finally did, it was for creative purposes with a hint of potential ability to make money somehow - someday - so far $0.

I was lucky enough to fall in with a group of amazing, supportive women who essentially strong-armed strongly encouraged me to start the blog already.

Now, we meet weekly an discuss strategies and issues and solutions to problems (both technical and other) that we encounter. It is great and the energy and support is terrific. We are open and helpful and dedicated and we are getting noticed. By media? No, by our friends who also want to start a business, a blog or supplement their business with social media.

Honestly, six months ago I didn't know what social media was and four months ago I didn't know what SEO was (Search Engine Optimization) - basically how to get your site higher up on the search lists.

I don't buy words (although lots of people do), I don't pay anyone to make comments for me (evidently another common practice) but let's be clear - I am just writing a blog, no business attached.

If you have a business today you need to have an on-line presence. This means Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and maybe a blog in a addition to your website. Sounds clear and easy enough but there are complications in all of these applications.

For instance - Twitter has a tutorial for business on their website. Read it. Twitter 101

LinkedIn has a learning center
Go to it.

Facebook (despite all the recent press about privacy concerns) has a great deal of helpful information - for a business page start on the sign-in page, unless you are like me and feel like setting up and then later coordinating - different pages. There are company pages and fan pages and I am clearer on that now.