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.

Sometimes I reside in a pretty bubble full of friends who believe as I do that tweeting and facebooking is perfectly normal – even essential – for personal and business use. After attending a few networking events this week, I was reminded that I am a minority. Most of the population stares at my bubble with a huge question mark and many make a point to stay far away as if it was marked with a danger sign. In fact, in the last two days, three people have told me that they are scared of social media and don’t want to mess with it. Why is it scary? Because it is powerful and new.

Here are 2 ways to avoid social media disasters that cause usually savvy business professionals to flee the new media scene:

1. Think twice before you post. Whether updating your status on behalf on your business or yourself, it is crucial think about the purpose of that post and if it aligns with how you want to be perceived. Double-check your spelling and grammar. Think again. Then go ahead and post.
2. Don’t ignore a negative comment. The horror stories about big name companies getting slammed online often stems from a few complaints or negative comments about the brand that went unnoticed and weren’t dealt with immediately. In order to handle these situations properly, businesses must monitor the conversation around their brands/services and then be ready to respond. The comment of “Thank you for voicing your concern, we are looking into it”, is perfectly acceptable until you can determine the next steps.

Above all, the more educated people become on social media and how to use it, the less scary it will be. Like all powers (not to get all Harry Potter on you), there is a dichotomy of positive and negative. There are any overwhelming amount of amazing stories about the good that social media has brought. The negative action will happen whether you are logged-in or not, but chances of stopping a viral catastrophe are much higher if you are already conversing on the networks.

How do you view the online social realm? Do you reside in the bubble like me? What are your fears?