Is social media a fad?  Who cares?  Some said the Model T was a fad.  So was radio and then TV.  How about the computer?  Fax machine?   The cellphone?  They weren’t passing fads, but they all have undergone tremendous change.  Social media surely will, too. 

If social media is a fad it’s only an f-a-d (fad another day).  Today, it’s voraciously viral the way people around the world are embracing technology to feed their hunger to connect.  Whether you’re on board or not, social media is already sailing the seven seas.  It is a proven powerful way to communicate and it seems to get an even brighter future with every rising and setting of the sun we share.  Regardless of where it’s headed, social media has already shown it has value.    

Despite what Uncle Ernie, Aunt Bessie, or Pete the Barber says, “It ain’t just young people doing social media.”  Two out of every three professional marketers are now using social media on the job as part of their every day strategy for success.  Large corporations are brilliantly using it as an important tool in bulldozing their way to even stronger branding of their products.  Not only is social media gaining in popularity, but the level of resistance to it is reducing.       

The Content Development Kings know social media is as unique an experience as each person using it.  Some are very successful with it in growing business.  Some are totally into it strictly for the social benefits.  Some don’t think they have time for it.  And waiting in the wings are countless others who want to become social butterflies but just don’t have a clue how to start.

Whatever describes your social media status, we’d love to help you to “socialize.”  Our approach for Facebook is for connecting and networking with friends and family, and letting other professionals see who you are outside of work.  Twitter is like a 140 character limit, online headline news on steroids. 

Don’t worry about these websites being financial failures.  Just because their parent companies haven’t monetized business models yet doesn’t mean people and businesses using these sites aren’t making money.  They are.  Certain folks who sit, eat, and drink in front of a computer day and night tend to put on weight—in the area of their wallet!   

MySpace is the place that’s like throwing back a few cold, refreshing beverages at an online drinking establishment.  And yes, middle aged people are all over MySpace. 

Blogging also has big time clout on the internet.  If you can think, you can blog.  If you can talk, you can blog.  If you can type, you can blog.  Mostly, if you can overcome yourself, you can blog, and do so successfully.  This means you can use blogging to generate leads for your business.    

Since many consider LinkedIn as social media, we’ll discuss it here.  However, for the record, LinkedIn was designed as a professional network.  It looks, sounds, acts, and delivers like a professional network.  LinkedIn adds a new member every second, and if you want to build a business network online, LinkedIn is second to none.  We have absolutely no second thoughts about our love for LinkedIn. 

Regardless of how you want to build an online presence, take a deep breath and relax.  The Content Development Kings can create a customized social media plan for you or your business.  Let us be perfectly clear…we can develop a social media strategy to grow your network and grow your business.  But no, you don’t have to “get there” overnight.  Social media is like a marathon, and you don’t just run 26.2 miles at once.  You run it one step at a time.  And you don’t just enter the race as the starter says “go!”  You train for a marathon.  You prepare for it. 

Whether or not you seek out our social media services, we recommend you learn about social media and get better at it by watching and by listening.  Consider who you want others to see, and what you want to say.  Find your voice and follow it, but do so knowing what your message is and who you’re targeting with it.  You can be folksy.  You can be authoritative.  You can be funny.  Whatever you decide in social media, be your own CDK – Content Development King:
 
Be Creative.  Only you can be you. 
Do something. 
Be Kind.  Whether written, spoken, or otherwise shown -- kindness counts. 

In conclusion fellow socialites, we urge you to be careful with what you post.  Everything you type online leaves a fingerprint that can be found by “CSI:  Online” types.  Even worse than your fingerprint can be a footprint that fits perfectly with where your mouth once was).