One excuse from professionals as to why they should not be on social media is that they have nothing to say.  And one of these conversations occurred the day after I received an e-newsletter from this person.  I have a suspicion that there is not a lack of words or content keeping these folks away from tweeting and facebooking, but rather a lack of direction and education on what is appropriate content to share on social media.

Here is a list ideas to share and post:

• Links to your blog
• Links to articles you are reading
• Youtube videos
• Insightful commentary on trending topics or current events
• Company news
• Links to company news coverage
• Photos from an event or every-day life
• Information about upcoming events
• Inspirational quotes
• Life lessons

For examples of this type of content in action, follow the Bolt PR team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BoltPR or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BoltPR.

One thing to remember is that you don’t need to worry about producing all of the content because the “social” aspect of social networking is crucial.  Jump in, compliment and chat with others in your networks about their content and before long, producing content becomes second nature.

With an estimated 48% of adults in the U.S. having at least one social network profile, according to an April 2009 Harris Poll, social media and technology are changing the way society communicates. Instead of viewing the new advancements as something to contain, put off, or ignore, realize that these new tools are a way to interact with your community and allow your community to know your school in a positive, accurate way. Share these five social media myths with your reluctant administrators to dispel what may be deterring your administration from utilizing social media:

Myth 1: We lose control over the message. It is crucial for schools to share accurate information and messages that reflect their mission statements and unique philosophies. To take control of your messaging on social networks, designate a social media coordinator that you trust and that understands your mission to manage your online presence.

Myth 2: We don’t have the time or resources. Social networking does take some time to learn and manage (as do most new tools), but you have options to make it more efficient, including outsourcing or hiring a professional to manage the effort.

Myth 3: Only students and Generation Y are active social media users. This is far from the truth. The number of users on Facebook ages 35 -55 has grown 190.2% from January to June 2009, according to iStrategyLab. Parents, prospective families, current and potential donors, local media and your school’s community members are likely active on either Twitter or Facebook, or both. Rather than risking your news getting caught in email spam or tossed in the trash, communicate directly with your community online.

Myth 4: Students’ privacy will be violated. Rather than focus on individual students and their every move, post information about the school. Topics can include information about admissions, the school’s mission, links to educational articles that provide value to your community, links to press coverage about your school, sports and activities schedules, major announcements, and acknowledgement of volunteers and supporters.

Myth 5: Negative comments. People will talk about your school whether your school is on social networks or not. With Twitter and Facebook, your school can more readily uncover concerns and resolve any issues immediately.

*Published today in Tech & Learning’s EdTech Ticker: http://www.techlearning.com/editorblogs/22598

As a fervent and insistent advocate of Twitter, what I write may come as a shock: Twitter is not the solution to your business’ lack of exposure.  A tweet is not going to solve your problem of being looked over in the marketplace.  But, it sure can help.

The key to credible, revenue-generating awareness for start-ups and small businesses across the board is PR that incorporates Twitter and other online social media with media relations.  I believe the heart of public relations involves a third party endorsement and others telling your story for you.  Traditionally, this has been editorial coverage through TV and print.  Now, however, the storytellers can be a number of media – including Twitter.  With Twitter and Facebook becoming so popular among marketers, many small business owners are ready to throw their marketing and pr budgets to the wind and hop on the social media bandwagon for some free publicity.  Sure, Twitter users will tell your story for you, but only if they are familiar with you and trust you (unless you offer something incredibly funny and outrageous, in which case, people will share for the entertainment value).  So before you ditch PR, know that a good PR team will capitalize on media coverage via traditional media relations and social networking to build your credibility and foster interaction that prompts the creation of brand/business evangelists.
For more on how to integrate social media with your PR efforts, see previous blog entry, “5 Ways to Integrate Social Media with Public Relations.”