As more and more of my clients discover the terms social media and social web, they ask me how to use this new Web 2.0 concept of social. They are surprised when I ask them a few questions and find out they are already a part of the social web.

Here are my questions:

• Do you have and use email?
• Do you have a blog or website?
• Do you allow comments on your blog?
• Do you have a forum?
• Are you on MySpace and/or Facebook?
• Do you Twitter or use a similar interactive, microblog program or service?
• Do you bookmark sites through Delicious, StumbleUpon, Digg, or other services?

Then you’re a part of the social web. You’re using social media tools to communicate with others. So you know how to use the social web, right?

As discussed in “Exploring Social Media: Start With the Basics,” the basic social media tools are probably things you are already using. Using the social web means understanding how to use the tools to get your message across. [Read more…]