Most people don’t know what to say on, what to do on, or what to do with social media. And it’s a club with more than 700 million members.

There has to be an opportunity in there someplace.

Here’s the thought reality: Stop thinking of it as social media, and begin thinking of it as BUSINESS social media.

Immediately, some clarity begins to creep in. You’re already using LinkedIn as a business proposition. You’re getting contacts, finding prospects, searching by company and title for qualified people to connect with (link with). You may even be job hunting or job upgrading.

Why not use Facebook, Twitter and YouTube the same way?

Why not create daily/weekly/monthly value messages that your customers would find so interesting and informative that they would save them, print them, put them into action and forward them to others?

Sounds way more powerful than cold calling and groping, grasping, begging or manipulating your way to an appointment.

TODAY’S REALITY: Do everything you can to use business social media to build brand, image, reputation and perceived value with your customers and your business community.

YOUR CHALLENGE: Send messages your customers perceive as valuable to them. Messages so valuable that they will tell others.

BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA REALITY: It’s not about tweeting; it’s about being re-tweeted. It’s not about finding someone on LinkedIn; it’s about them finding you and wanting to connect. It’s not about searching out someone on Facebook; it’s about someone finding your business Facebook page and “Liking” it. It’s not about posting a video on YouTube; it’s about someone sending your video to someone else.

THINK: What will help your customers produce more, profit more, understand what’s brand-new in the market, improve morale, improve attitude or improve their life? Then write about it, tweet about it and post on Facebook about it.

MAJOR CLUE: Many people tweet or post something someone else said. WRONG. It’s not what somebody else says that is meaningful to your position as a person of value in business social media; it’s what you say, what you think, what you have experienced and what you believe to be true.

MAJOR CLUE: Quote yourself, not Benjamin Franklin. It’s tempting to quote Ben, but it will not build your value in the eyes of your customers.

DO THIS: If you sell toilets, you have to talk about plumbing. If you sell insurance, you have to talk about protection or peace of mind. If you sell clothing, you have to talk about fit and fashion. If you sell automobiles, you have to talk about vacations and auto safety. If you sell real estate, you have to talk about building equity, home repair and front yard safety.

BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA SELF-TEST:

• Make a list of your 10 most recent tweets. Are they relevant to your business success? Did they help others in any way? How many got re-tweeted?

• Make a list of your 10 most recent Facebook postings. How many people Like your business page? Do you even have a business page?

• List the last 10 actions you took, or messages you sent, on LinkedIn. Anyone join you or want to link as a result of them?

• List the 10 videos you posted most recently on your YouTube channel. Do you even have a YouTube channel? (It’s free!) Are you posting value messages that would lead your customers and prospects to think of you as a resource? Any video testimonials posted on your YouTube channel?

FINAL NOTE: All business social media is interconnected. You have to do it ALL consistently to gain effective results. And you have to do it all well if you expect to monetize your efforts.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2010 Jeffrey H. Gitomer