Let’s take a quick look at the different schools of thought regarding social media.

THE “SOCIAL MEDIA IS WORTHLESS” CAMP

Those who belong to the Social Media is Worthless Camp feel that social media is nothing more than a bubble and will recede into the sunset along with the other internet bubbles. Remember Friendster? Case in point.

Many in this camp feel that social media is the next big thing and, therefore, cannot last. They prefer to put their energies into time-tested, stable practices such as Search Engine Optimization, PPC, and SEM.

THE “I SEE VALUE IN SOCIAL MEDIA” CAMP

The folks in this camp are the most reasonable of the three camps, the happy medium, if you will. Albeit somewhat of a bunch of fence sitters, this group realizes that there is value to be had in social media and tries to tap into it.

The benefits of social media, from their perspectives, is that of research and announcements. Social media sites such as Facebook hold an enormous amount of information about your market segment and customer base. It is a window into the homes of your buyers and potential buyers. And they’ve left their window wide open.

Is it also a great place to spread the word about your company, a promotion, a contest, an event where friends share and invite their friends to join in the fun (if you’ve done your work and actually made your content fun and inviting).

There is value in social media, but is not the driving force of their SEO and marketing efforts.

THE “I (HEART) SOCIAL MEDIA” CAMP

Those who belong to this group spend more hours talking with their friends on Facebook than with real, live people. They believe a well-executed ad campaign on Facebook or a witty video on YouTube is the rainbow which will lead them to the pot of gold. One’s time is best spent on social media sites.

Their biggest argument for this are the rather large handful of cases of people experiencing huge ROIs and success from their social media efforts. Many artists have been discovered on YouTube, such as Zee Avi. Many companies have seen sales go up 100 fold after posting a video. So it’s possible.

There are lessons to be learned from all three camps. Social Media is a powerful tool bu it can also be a waste of time.

What sucks so many people into focusing all their efforts on social media is that the time spent doing it is rather pleasant and the rewards come with more warm fuzzies than, say, link building.

Social Media should be implemented along with a full blown SEO and SEM campaign. It should complement your advertising efforts, not be the main source. Think of Social Media as a crisp glass of Chardonnay with your meal; it complements, not sustains.

Things Social Media Can Do For You

1. Helps you get to know your audience

Social media is an incredibly powerful learning tool to help you find out more and understand your target audience.

Social media sites have forums, chat rooms, and fan pages that are filled with nuggets of information from people already interested in your industry. Join these groups and get in on the conversation as an investigator, a detective, NOT as a salesman. Ask questions and read what people are saying about certain products or companies. Social media has also given people the self-appointed power of being critical and all-knowing about everything and they have no qualms about sharing the opinions with the world.

2. Get Free Incoming Links at a Click of a Button

That magic button is the Digg, Reddit, or other kudos-type buttons you should have at the top of every post. If something likes what they read, they can Digg It and share it with friends. This generates links and even better, traffic.

3. Come Up First on SERPs

If you write a killer article and lots of people Digg it (in both senses of the word), that Digg article can come up high on the SERPs, even if your website doesn’t. And having an article with lots of Diggs generates loads of traffic.

There is great power in social media, however, don’t get carried away and spend all your time trying to add more friends to your profile. Social media can quickly eat away at all your time.

Why Tweet?

This service is simple, but don’t be fooled! There are so many ways to use Twitter, and here are just a few of them.

1. Haven’t look too much into it, but link building may be a latent benefit.
2. Quickly get advice from a group of friends: "Guys, you know where to get some shin guards for tonight’s game?"
3. Broadcast the play-by-play of town meeting that others couldn’t get to.
4. Get your local traffic report, weather, or sports updates.
5. Get breaking news or top stories from your favorite news station.
6. Political candidates are reaching out to a new generation of voters.
7. Have your plant tell you when it’s thirsty
8. Get out of jail!

How to Tweet

Here are some desktop applications utilizing Twitter:

1. Twitterrific – A small paid desktop application that acts similar to an instant messenger. No need for a browser.
2. Twidget is a free Dashboard Widget for OS X that allows you to update and view your friends’ Twitter statuses.

Use Twitter from your phone or even from an instant messenger like Google Chat. Setup is a cinch. Do this from Twitter’s homepage.

Twitter in Firefox

For those of you who absolutely love to "pimp" your browser, check out the following Firefox Twitter plugins (add-ons):

1. TwittyTunes – By the very competent makers of FoxyTunes, this little app sits in the bottom of your browser and is perhaps one of the easiest ways to twitter about what you’re currently working on.
2. Twitbin – Easily send and receive messages on twitter via your Firefox sidebar.
3. Twitterbar – This is a fun one. Send a Twitter by typing into your address bar.
4. TwitterFox – Get all your twitters fed to your browser like an instant messenger.

And, if you’re into combining several tasks into one place check out these fun Firefox add-ons that combine Tweeting with other social networking options:

1. Shareaholic – You can easily twitter, digg, etc straight from your browser even when the site you’re on doesn’t have the option to do so. (supported networks: * digg * del.icio.us * facebook * friendfeed * google bookmarks * magnolia * mixx * reddit * simpy * stumbleupon * truemors * tumblr * twitter * bzzster!)
2. BlogRovr – Are you an avid blogger? With BlogRover you can blog from the same window as the one you’re browsing in. And of course, built in Twittering!

Twitter for Bloggers

1. Twitter Tools – Blogger? Use this plugin to send the title to Twitter. It will also add a link to your post.

Twitter Apps on Facebook

1. Twitter – As Twitter’s official application this will tie your twitter and facebook accounts together and even give you the option of posting your tweets to your Facebook status, kinda fun if you’re a twitterholic, but don’t spend so much time on Facebook ).
2. Twittervision – This little application combines mapping technology and twitter to let you see where your friends are twittering from.

Note: If you add several applications that all update your mini feed, you’ll want to edit the settings so that they don’t all junk up your feed with the exact same update.

Twitter Alternatives

If Twitter is not your style then don’t rule out "micro-blogging" just yet. You may find one of these other "presence networks" a little bit better match.
1. Tumblr – Truly this is blogging in its simplest definition of the word. Post a few words, an image, video or audio. Less is more.
2. Jaiku – Google purchased Jaiku is slated to be quite the contender of Twitter. While it’s in beta, you’ll need to request an invitation to use it. Good luck!
3. Pownce – An easy "way to keep in touch with and share stuff with your friends. Send people files, links, events, and messages and then have real conversations with the recipients."

Keep your eyes open for reviews of these other popular micro-blogging services.

Other Reviews of Twitter Tools

• TWITTER TOOLBOX: 60+ Twitter Tools
• 20 Twitter Services to Enhance Your Experience
• 17 Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Beginners, Marketers and Business Owners

1. Setting up a WordPress Blog
   1. Hosting (BlueHost: Fantastico, Simple Scripts)
   2. WordPress Installation & Setup
      1. Installation
      2. Settings
         1. www
         2. permalink structure /%postname%.html
      3. Plugin Essentials
         1. What are plugins & how can they help me?
            1. Explanation
         2. Uploading your first plugin
            1. Plugin Central – List of Plugins to paste
         3. Setting a Stable base
            1. Publishing
               1. Google Sitemap Plugin
               2. Twitter Tools
            2. SEO Your Site
               1. All-in-One SEO Pack
               2. SEO Friendly Images
               3. SEO Smart Links
               4. Simple Tags
            3. Networking
               1. Social Links
               2. Tell-A-Friend
            4. Usability Features
               1. Featurific
               2. Awesom Dropdown
               3. Favorite Posts
            5. Creating Stick
               1. What Would Seth Godin Do?
               2. Comment Relish – emails a thank you to first time
               3. Subscribe to Comments
               4. Comment Thank You Page
         4. Others
            1. Askimet
               1. Registering for WordPress.com & API
            2. Ohz Dropdown Menu
            3. One Click Plugin
         5. Find more plugins
            1. WordPress.org Plugin Directory
            2. Google Search
      4. Installing Your Template FREE ONES
         1. Finding a Template
            1. WordPress.org Themes
            2. Google Search
         2. Installing & Activating
2. Building Community
   1. Read
      1. Search for your topic of interest
      2. Skim or read 5 a day
      3. Setup Google Reader or iGoogle
   2. Bookmark
      1. Onlywire
      2. Shareaholic Firefox Add-on
      3. AddThis
         1. Digg
         2. StumbleUpon
         3. Twitter
         4. Facebook
   3. Commenton on Blog Posts (links)
   4. Tweet
      1. 3 times a day is solid
         1. 1 blog post (Twitter Post)
         2. 2 links to good resources (in your reading)
         3. 3 Thoughtful replies (TweetDeck – Twitter Search)
   5. (Make New Friends & Connect)
      1. Twitter Search – Tweet Deck
      2. Facebook Groups
      3. Youtube Channels
3. Content, Content, Content
   1. Principles
      1. QUALITY 1.
      2. Engage Your Reader
         1. Ask questions
         2. Respond to User Comments Quickly
      3. Think SEO, at least partially
         1. Categories/Tags
         2. SEO
   2. Push Content
      1. Facebook Notes/Page
      2. Twitter – Twitter Tools
      3. LinkedIn