Do you really need a blog?: Participating in the online conversation.

It can be difficult to keep up with the many popular social networking and blogging sites. And writing content for each one can be rather experimental. There really are no right or wrong answers. What is essential, however, is that each and every site must constantly be updated with new information and relevant content pertaining to your business or industry. But if you don't like to spend the time writing, researching and sharing information, these tools might not be right for you. You'll waste your time setting up an account, with no hope for SEO potential.

There are many stories out there about real businesses achieving success with online social marketing. For instance, a pastor in Atlanta, GA has recently used Facebook, Twitter and MySpace as tools to solicit donations for a Christmas toy drive. He also used YouTube to post videos of the stories of children in need. In the end he raised over $21,000, exclusively through online donations. 300 people in 22 states participated, and surprisingly, 80% of those who donated were complete strangers. In addition, the pastor has used the Internet to market his church and grow his congregation. Now, 60% of his church is made up of people who have found him online.

What turns most advertisers off from using Web 2.0 technologies is that many believe that: (1) it's just for kids, and (2) traditional marketing still holds the same value as it did 20 years ago. For one thing, the latest statistics from Facebook points out that more than 50% of its users are over the age of 25 and are among the fastest growing demographic. Traditional marketing has not been the same since the online social trend has gained so much ground. And in this economy, the Internet is becoming more of a must-have household utility than things like cable TV. In fact, it has been studied that young people are watching less and less TV (not to mention reading less newspapers and print magazines). These days, consumers are finding businesses on their own time, instead of the other way around. And with Tivo, anti-spyware, and Do-Not-Call registries, they are constantly finding new ways to tune out unwanted advertising messages. They turn to the Internet to find what they really want through forums, blogs and searches.

When using a Web 2.0 site...
DON'T:

• check into your accounts only once a month -- it should be updated at least once a week
• assume that just having a profile is sufficient
• post biased opinions
• write a Twitter message about what you ate for breakfast or any other random fact that means nothing to anyone other than you and your best friend.
• waste your time to say, "my cat was so precocious today." Time is money, so spend it wisely.

DO:

• write articles and messages related to your business and industry
• give your customers facts and figures that may be of value to them
• write about a new listing, an open house, a charity event, or list some helpful tips and tools
• post a video of a virtual tour or photos of homes and company employees
• humanize your company and show customers your personality. It's ok to have fun with it, but remember that the information you provide should be 80% serious and only 20% humorous.
• respond quickly to any direct messages from other people
• follow those who follow you on Twitter
• engage in conversations with discussion groups, or post articles from your blog into their "Discussion" sections
• join industry-related groups within your Facebook or LinkedIn accounts
• make links to your website on discussion boards and Twitter messages (as long as it's something that would be of interest to your potential customers)
• invite past clients and colleagues to be your friend; your network will grow from there. On Facebook, for example, every time you add something new to your page, your friends will get an update. They may even pass your information along to their friends.

One more thing -- if you think you're too old for this stuff, consider this: even 92-year-old acting legend Kirk Douglas has a blog. And his MySpace has over 5,500 friends. Hey, if he can do it...