Contrast that news with this mind-boggling story:  last week in Australia, 60,000 trolls RSVPed for a private party a woman named Kate accidentally made public on Facebook.  The ensuing rigamarole (and the endless memes it spouted — we’re talking t-shirts, copycat parties, even pornographic sendups of the fête) has much to teach us about social media.  Namely:  It’s here.  It’s relevant.  And it can move people in a way that traditional tools just can’t.

Am I saying that every business owner should rush out and get the new shiny, even if they have no idea how it works?  No way.  But the sheer numbers and instantaneous quality of social tools should be enough to pique your interest, perk up your ears, and get you thinking.  Whether social media spurs you to clean up your message (complex, hard-to-understand messaging has no place in any kind of brand expression) or enter into actual conversation instead of keeping your head in the sand as to what your customers and clientele have to say, the time to ignore social media has passed.

Like it or not, we live in a landscape where Twitter users can make or break a film the day it comes out (or even before).  Priceless brand impressions and recommendations are just a log-on to Facebook away.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  given social tools, users rove in packs, get vocal and passionate, and can create tidal waves of interest or ignorance.  That, my friends, is power.  So…what are you going to do to harness (or ride) the wave?  – Erin

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Today’s inaugural breakfast featured LinkedIn impresario and the tremendously successful CEO of Integrated Alliances, Mike O’Neil.  Here’s a quick rundown of his top tips for making the most of LinkedIn:

The demographics. LinkedIn is “MySpace for grownups” and is one of the most powerful social media hubs on the Web.  The average user earns more than $100k annually and is 41 years of age.  36% of all LinkedIn users are decision-makers in their business.

The to-do list.  Anyone wanting to make the most of LinkedIn should start by fleshing out their profile to be a fabulous marketing document, then move on to increasing their network (bigger = better), utilizing searches to their benefit, communicating through messages and introductions, and leveraging LinkedIn for sales.

The numbers.  Mike recommends a profile with upward of 500 connections (he has a whopping 19,000!).  Why is bigger better?  Because you can generate more prospects, more inbound calls, more respect, and more social capital.  Smaller networks work better for execs.  Mike recommends that users join 20-30 groups and connect with the super-connected (known as “lions” or “toplinkers”).

The predictions.  Mike’s looking forward to the aggregation of today’s panoply of new media tools in a new browser or website form…in the meantime, he thinks Microsoft, IBM, or another big player will acquire LinkedIn soon.

The takeaway:  Build your social network while you’re employed.  It might seem like a big investment of time, but it pays to get it while the getting is good.

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