Do you believe social sites really make a difference in your business? Tell me why.

This is a really tricky one for me given that I am COO of one of those social business sites (www.wecando.biz). So of course it has made a difference for us because without the concept either we wouldn't exist or we would be one of one.

The whole social/business media concept is of course far too complex to discuss in just one reply but I believe firmly in the power of the Social Web to drive business. Many see it as a valuable marketing tool, we do the opposite, we use it to enable our members to look for the market. A little different. It is of course quite tricky for me to answer this without it seeming like a huge long ad but I will try as I would hate to be reading advertorial if I were you.

The biggest impact on business from social anything is that of the customer. The Social CRM phenomenon if you like. I hate the term but I suppose it does explain it. No business can ignore the customer (present, past, future etc) and the social web brings that home in spades. Unless you are looking, you don't know what is being said. No business can afford to ignore their customers and they now choose how they speak, not you.

If you are planning to use the social web to push market and you are not a huge established brand, forget it. You will be lost in the noise. Just think about how many advertising links you click in a day...bet its not many! BUT there are a lot of people who want what you do. I don't know what you sell or produce but I know my last statement is true. All you have to do is find them and the social web is a great set of tools for doing just that.

The reality if I try to encapsulate and paraphrase is 'Ask not what social sites can do for you...they are doing it already whether you like it or not.'

Mortgage brokers and banks offer free, useful new home buyer workshops to inexperienced real estate buyers. Is a Webinar any different? Or a "Twitter Party?"

Luring and then creating quality time with prospects isn't a new concept. Social media just gives us another tool. A tool to *assess*. Not to "engage." It's a chance to find out where customers are in the purchase process. Generate leads!

Vacation timeshare companies have long used this approach – offering "ethical bribes" to fun-seeking vacationers. But what's the catch to the free vacation? Again, quality time. And the marketer always asks for the sale – they get paid!

Social media is a chance to go further than occupying customers' time ("engage" them). It's a chance to offer answers to prospects' questions. Gestures that connect to our products and services.

Social marketing gestures can pay you. But only if you expect and design them to. You've got to be ready for customers' responses – without fail. Not just broadcast into the ether. So expect and design gestures that earn useful responses. Or don't make gestures at all!

** Action item: How can you commit your business, today, to helping customers make vital life-stage decisions or getting important things done? Consider ING Direct's Cafes, AnchorBank's Financial Answer Center (http://financialinformationcenter.anchorbank.com) or Adagio Tea's tea timer (http://bit.ly/fAazYt) or Adidas's Runbase Store in Tokyo, which offers showers, locker rooms and weekly workshops and events. Brainstorm how you can start on any of these concepts, on a smaller scale. How can you borrow from their design?

** Action item: Is your business *saying* things to customers with social media campaigns – or *doing* things for them using gestures? Are your acts designed to produce behavior? And do they connect to a larger system or “selling process” – your sales funnel or customer life cycle?

Think of each social marketing tool you employ today. Twitter, Facebook, social networks like LinkedIn, blogging, YouTube, product reviews. Many of these programs may be generating customer behavior. If so, does each behavior prompt your business to follow up with another action as part of a larger system you've designed? And do you offer prospects a chance to communicate their "state of need" to your business?

Good luck.

Hi St. Homes - I echo much of what Joe, Chris and Jeff have said. At this stage of the social media life cycle, however, I'd ask the question "What difference does social media make?" I have to say that at this point, not participating in some level of social media is like not having a phone or a web site. The bigger question is, what is the right mix for your business? What goals have and objectives have you set and what strategies will help you make them happen.

The difference that social media makes in a business is the ability for the business to be found by its customers. These days, the first place any consumer goes (industrial or consumer) when they are considering purchasing something is to Google. They will type in a term and see what pops up. Your business needs to be represented on that first page for those keywords otherwise, it really doesn't exist.

Many social media sites are indexed by Google -- meaning that the comments and articles that contain those keywords that the user typed in will appear in the Google search. This, alone is a great reason to use social media -- at the very least blogging.

Then, depending on what your business is, you will have to decide to what degree Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are good choices and how to use them to attract and generate interest and leads for your business.

Social media (at least to me) is really a sub set of public relations. It's low cost, time intensive but, done right, can be extremely effective.

It's really "free" or low cost advertising for your business. Where else can you write 800 words and educate your potential customer on why you're a great choice for the product or service they are interested in.

Also don't get hung up on the specific social media tools. Focus on understanding your customer and what's important to them. Then develop an offer that will appeal to them. Finally consider all the different ways that you can use social media tools to have them find you, send them to a web site or page where they can get more information and get into conversations with the,.. This will assure that you will be at the right place at the right time for them to choose you.