All it takes is time…What’s that?…Nobody has enough time to keep up? Want to skip all the reading to become a social media expert right now? I’ll make it as simple as possible:

1. Define your company’s core values
2. Use those values to create relationships with other similar companies
3. Promote a discussion to better your community focusing on your message rather than your brand
4. Act on it!

Now that everyone can be a so-called “expert” let’s move on to the real issues. If you find it difficult to get past the first step, you might want to reevaluate your company instead of bashing social media for why it doesn’t work. The brand always comes second to your message and core values. Far too many companies overlook the philanthropic nature of social media and working together. Brands getting into social media must realize it allows for complete transparency and companies lacking these values may experience an adverse effect.

How to Use Twitter to Support Customers

Apple is to innovation as @RockNFit is to a healthy lifestyle. Apple isn’t about selling computers and iPhones just as RockNFit isn’t about selling shoes and that’s the message you need to convey.

Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress are 3 powerful and free tools to help promote your message. It’s not rocket science. Find someone from within your company who exemplifies your brand and ask them to monitor your profiles. Then allow that person time to LISTEN to everything the community is saying and not just what you want to hear. The longer companies have been involved with social media, the more time they spend on it. Build a comprehensive marketing strategy that targets the consumer on all levels and blastoff!

Building brands organically is the only way to go. In my opinion, having the most friends/fans/followers out of anyone in your industry is nice but only a worthless measurement for people who don’t understand the sharing power of social media done right. Having a few high quality followers that understand sharing far outweighs the actual number of followers. Tweeting is similar to The Field of Dreams…Do something positive for your community and they will come!

The only constant in social media is CHANGE! It is already a full time job to keep up. There are ever increasing number of companies looking for help. My advice for any job seeker with a hint of social responsibility is to learn social media by following 10 Steps to Becoming A Social Media Expert, and then find a brand that will give you a voice to make a difference. It doesn’t matter if that brand is selling bean bags in Florida, this economy needs good people running good companies like Brand Karma.

My website is about giving people access to the best tools out there so they might use them to better their community. I can have an even greater affect on social change by allowing others to conveniently keep up through social media by acting as an information hub. If you have the time to keep up with my favorite websites, please do so. If you only have time for one, I would be humbled to be so responsible although Mashable is my ultimate favorite!

I don’t think of myself as an expert, I simply think I can help others to help others to possibly help others have a voice and make a difference Striving to change the world, one post at a time.

(PS, with so much information out there, I still miss many great postings so please let me know by email, tweet, message, telegram, or skywriting) Good luck!