Put the social in social media… after all, it’s just a party.

Since we’re still at the beginning of our social media journey together, I think I should talk a little more about social media theory. Don’t worry, we’ll get into developing winning strategies and fool-proof plans in the coming weeks.

But, for now, let’s discuss one aspect of social media theory that I think is critical in helping you understand what social media is all about.

It’s called social media for a reason – it’s about being social. Too many companies and people are scared of jumping into the world of social media because they think the technology and tools are too difficult to understand.

I’ve heard everything from “I can’t do social media because I’m not a techy!” to “social media looks difficult; I don’t know if we can handle the computer requirements.”

Sure, those are some valid statements, made by some really intelligent people. But what these statements show is that some people are looking at social media all wrong.

Instead of looking at social media as a technological forum meant for tech-saavy 20 year olds, start looking at social media as a cocktail party… in which everyone is invited. All you need to do is sign up for some services like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Quora etc. and start conversing with people. These tools have been designed for mass consumption, which means they are straight-forward and user-friendly.

Simply put, anyone with a shred of intelligence can get started and can jump right into the world of social media. It’s okay to “not know what you’re doing” at the start - these tools make it easy for you to walk around, learn the in-and-outs and start connecting.

Think trial and error, not crash and burn.

So let’s talk more about this so-called cocktail party. When you go to a party, what’s the first thing you do? Well, you probably hang your jacket up, smile, walk around, find an area to have a drink and make small talk with the people around you.

That’s exactly what you should be doing with social media. Enter the party room, get comfortable, find your niche or a desirable topic and start making small talk. Soon you’ll be engaging with friends, sharing information and partaking in meaningful conversations.

You don’t go to a cocktail party and start analyzing the structure of the room, the lay of the floor or the stability of the light fixtures. So why would social media be any different? It’s not. Forget about learning the nuances of the technologies or the programming of the tools. Just engage and find your way around the room/forum.

You’ll find your way around in no time. Then, when you’re comfortable with the tools, you can start choosing your network and using social media to meet your business goals.

Another side point I should make is that when using social media for business purposes, don’t just constantly spew corporate jargon and enter the forums with pre-packaged key messages. Nobody wants to hear cold, faceless corporate propaganda. Instead, talk about your industry, share opinions and engage with potential consumers. Then, when you have a network and some followers, you can add the odd promotional piece to the mix. Your network would then be more likely to click your links and visit your pages. Why? Because you’ve added value to the conversations in the past and are now a respectable social media friend.

Again, think of it as a cocktail party. The guy that comes to the party with pre-planned pickup lines and only talks about himself is the guy everyone tries to stay away from. The same goes for social media.

In short, don’t fear the technology of social media. Instead, focus on the social aspect of the media.

Remember that it’s a party and you’ll be successful in no time.

Does this make sense? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your opinions…..