Social Media Simplified

"Social media" - the buzz words of the day.  But what the heck does it mean?  Everyone is talking about social media but most of us do not even know how to define it.  Think of it this way - have you ever gone to a fancy restaurant, acted oh-so-sophisticated by ordering a five course dinner, and secretly had no idea what food was going to come out?  If what you had ordered was even food at all!

For me, that is social media.  I know I want to order it but have no real idea of what is going to come out.  So I decided to go to two expert "chefs" of social media and find out the essential ingredients of this crazy dish called social media.  Tyler Barnett, CEO of Tyler Barnett PR, and Greg Cargill, CEO of bigMethod, are two leaders in the field of social media marketing.  Their bios are included at the bottom of the article.  The answers can apply to anyone but are specifically helpful to those using social media for business.

AH: What is social media?

TB: It is simply a way to communicate and interact with the internet as the platform.  It is a person-to-person connection digitally.

GC: It is part of the evolution of communication.  It is using the Internet as a medium to interact online.

AH: For someone not doing anything today, what three steps would you have them take?

TB: One, get a twitter account.  It is easy to use and a good way to get started.  Two, set up a blog.  Go to wordpress and set one up.  All you have to do is write about yourself and whatever you are passionate about.  The amount of content is the key.  Third, set up a facebook page and a fan page for your company.  

GC: Learning and understanding the tools are key so I would first find a blog on a topic you love and read it.  Understand what a blog is about.  Second, explore twitter.  Look up the best practices.  Lastly, sign up for enewsletters related to social media.  These newsletters will help to expand your knowledge of social media and how to make it work best for you.

AH: On average, how much time should you commit to social media and how can you use that time productively?

TB: In under an hour per day you can send 3-4 tweets, update facebook 1-2 times, and write a blog post.  

GC: First, you need to define and develop a strategy before you do anything.  Having a succinct strategy for your social media presence from the start will make the process much easier.

AH: When is it time to hire someone like you to help?

TB: The sooner the better.  It really comes down to time; if you do not have the time to commit to social media you need to have someone helping.  

GC: It is most effective to bring someone in at the very beginning to help develop the strategy.  Often times people wait until they are too overwhelmed or are about to release a new product.  It is much more beneficial to have help from the beginning to help, at the minimum, create a social media strategy.  And many people feel they cannot afford to hire someone like me but there is no barrier to entry.  If you are an entrepreneur, you can hire me for a few hours to give you a crash course and to map out a strategy to help meet your specific goals.


Greg Cargill is from bigMETHOD - a digital marketing agency focused on leveraging social media to connect their clients directly to their audience.  They want to guide you through the new media frontier, implementing comprehensive strategies for using innovative tools that lead to definitive success.

Tyler Barnett Public Relations is a full service consumer and lifestyle public relations firm, taking pride in consistent innovation, meticulous focus, and out of the box creative strategy.  They provide their clientele with a fresh and exuberant take on an industry that's constantly changing and evolving.