Everyone is talking about Barack Obama’s social media advantage. He is out there on twitter, facebook and MySpace. He is engaging the people where the people want to be engaged. He is right there with them, on the same level. ISL followed Obama on twitter, he followed us back. If social media works for a political campaign, can it work for a business?

When the web went 2.0, everyone got a voice. The technology allows anyone to publish on the web with ease.

Social media is all about user generated content. There are social networking sites, social bookmarking sites as well as social news sites. But what is at the heart of social media, and what all these sites have in common are the principles of conversation, community and sharing ideas.

Social media is changing the way we communicate. Sharing videos, pictures and stories has never been easier. It is also changing the way businesses communicate. It is evolving the public relations and marketing function into a more fluid, two-way communications model.

But how can a business embrace social media and what are the benefits?

Listen
The best way to start is simply by listening. Check out what is out there and where it would make sense for your company to contribute. Do some keyword searches on technorati to see who is blogging about your industry.

Engage
When you decide to engage in the conversation, you must add value to it. This way you will gain respect from the community. The end goal of a social media campaign should never be to stick up a profile; it should be about engaging in the conversation. 

Build Relationships
Don’t take social out of social media. Remember there are people behind those computers. People don’t want marketing messages or *cringe* pitches thrown at them. Instead, catch their imagination, show them something cool.

Be authentic
Don't try to beat the system, be an authentic user. A social media presence definitely  has link building value but don't go out there just to plaster your link all over the wall. If you add value to the conversation and create engaging content, people will naturally link to you.  

Business BenefitsYou might not get elected President but your business can definitely benefit from joining the online conversation. An active presence on social media sites will build brand awareness. It allows you to get closer to potential and existing clients and build out your network.

People might already be discussing your brand online, you should be listening. If the talk isn't positive it allows you to address the problem head on. Turn it into an opportuntity instead of hiding or ignoring the complaints.

Determine your goals
Before spending a lot of time on social media sites, determine your goals. What do you want to get out of it? Who will do it? How much time does it take to achieve these goals? But don’t be scared to make mistakes, you won’t know what works until you try it. Don’t be scared to ask for advice either.

Opportunities for your business

Twitter

• Twitter asks you: What are you doing? But answer the question: What has your attention?
• Follow people in your industry, build out your network
• Point out interesting things in your space, not just about you

Facebook

• Create a business page

• Invite people to become fans
• Make it engaging, put up some pictures and videos
• Whenever there is activity on your facebook page, it will show up on the main news feed for people, giving your business exposure

Some 2.0 businesses

• Dell’s flickr photo stream
• ISL on facebook
• Obama on twitter
• ISL on twitter

Resources

• Check out the media & marketing channel on bright talk to view webcasts on social media.
• Chris Brogan’s blog
• Niche social news sites you can leave a comment at
• Click on the links people post on twitter, if you follow the right people they point to useful places.
  
  Agree? Disagree? Would love to hear your feedback, send them along to isl.ca