1. What’s it all about then?

Social media is about people talking to people in networks. That’s it. Nothing more complicated than that. Sure, people do funky stuff like share videos and collaborate on projects and play Scrabble and write their own blogs… but really it’s all about people coming together online and having a good old blether.

2. So how do we do social media?

Well, you don’t ‘do’ social media. You use social media tools and services like Facebook and Twitter to talk to people. Why? Because that’s where you’ll find people – on Facebook and Twitter and blogs and a gazillion other social networks and sites. You just have to talk to them.

3. We have to talk to people?!

Sure you do, if you want to use social media. Hey, it’s a big change. We understand that. Businesses and brands and organisations are used to ‘broadcasting’. You advertise to people. You try to get their attention. You try to sell them stuff. You control your message and you ignore criticism. But if you do that in the social media world, people will cut you dead. Seriously. You have to find people who want to hear from, who care what you do… and then talk to them openly.

4. How do we talk to people?

Just as you would in a meeting or around a kitchen table or in a pub. You listen, you gauge the situation, and you join in with the conversation. But you also have to be real. People you connect with, people who give you their time and attention, have to feel that they’re connecting with a person, not a faceless corporate image. Nobody wants to talk to a logo. So you have to be prepared to be (more) open and honest and transparent about what you do and who you are.

5. What happens then?

Well, if people are interested in you, they’ll talk about you to their friends – and ‘friends’ in this context means people in their extended networks. If you give somebody a reason to become your friend or fan on Facebook, their friends will see this. Some of them may be inclined to become your friend or fan as well. And so it spreads. This network effect is incredibly powerful.