Like many in our industry, we’ve struggled a bit getting our heads completely around social media. Who gives a twit about Twitter? Who has the time to face off with Facebook? Will they even still be around by the time we’ve mastered them? Where do we even start?

We decided to get some advice from some colleagues who we know to be active bloggers, posters and/or tweeters, and share what we learned from them. Our panel includes meetings technology mavens Corbin Ball, Rod Marymor and Jim Spellos; meeting and event planners Cindy Lo and Marla Watson-Werst, who are also owners of their own businesses (Red Velvet Events and PeaPod Productions, respectively); and Cheryl Rivas, meeting planner and marketing communications manager for Meeting Sites Resource. We asked about their favorite tools, how they use them for their meetings and in their businesses, what they’ve learned from their experiences, and what advice they would give someone starting out in social media.

Who Gets Face Time
Facebook was the only unanimous choice. Marymor likes its ease of use and excellent mobile app that allows him to stay connected. Watson-Werst, who is torn between Facebook and Twitter as her favorites, says social media takes marketing to a new level.

"As event planners, [social media] is the best place to put out a message or invitation to our industry or to individuals...it is no longer guerilla marketing; it is fast becoming the normal." 

LinkedIn ran a close second to Facebook, cited as the most professional vehicle for social networking. Rivas calls it a very valuable tool for business.

"We use LinkedIn to post industry-related articles, news/press releases, information and updates on our company," she advises. "I also post questions on LinkedIn to get group feedback."

Rivas says the results and ROI are "...amazing, as long as you spend the time to put quality information online."

Twitter rounds out the top three. Although Twitter gets rapped by some for being a bit too personal for business use—"having bacon & eggs AGAIN this am LOL"—Lo finds it very useful.

"I find Twitter to be the best in sharing news and content that I normally would consider spamming if I were to e-mail them, but Twitter allows me to post it, and if no one is listening, then I don’t feel as if I’m spamming," she says. "If they do find it of interest, I’ve helped someone."

Twitter is a Spellos favorite, as well.

"I think it offers the best amount of content in our industry, due to threaded conversations such as #eventprofs [among others], as well as just great info from many individual Tweeters."

Twitter is also probably the easiest to integrate into your meeting or business, too. A simple "hashtag" such as #ourevent2010 costs nothing, doesn’t even need an account set up, and can go viral with attendees tweeting about the event before, during and after, spreading the word through Twitter’s interconnected web.

YouTube, Event Peeps, i-Meet, Wordpress, SlideShare, Flickr, PicassaWeb, HootSuite, Ning, Delicious, Gowalla, FourSquare, Whrrl, Tripit, TripAdvisor, Yelp and industry specialized proprietary products such as Pathable, Crowdvine and Zerista were also mentioned as sites and systems used.

"My view of these tools is that they are additive, more than independent. The more you’re out there, and the more you use them, the greater the potential benefit," Spellos says.

Taking the Plunge
The only barrier to reaping the benefits of social media may be taking the first step.

"Jump right in, and find your best option," Watson-Werst advises newcomers. "Usually it’s Facebook, so learn its ins and outs, and have fun. Don’t be intimidated."

Marymor advises planners to try out new things, but don’t expect results overnight.

"Be innovative, and be patient," he says. "If the momentum is there, you will know it…if it’s not, be ready to change your approach, or try something different."

Lo adds that it’s okay to wade in and make the media your own.

"Everyone uses it differently and will have different ways to benefit from it," she says.

Lo hit on a key point in the following piece of advice: "I do think it’s important to understand boundaries, and the bottom line is to help others versus always asking what’s in it for me."

Many on the panel suggested that overselling in social outlets leads to certain failure.

Ball offers the following advice for getting up-to-speed on social networking:

For individuals:

• Get on the big three (Facebook, Linked In, Twitter).
• Listen before you leap (post messages).
• Don’t use hard-core sales messages.
• Budget your time (he shoots for 30 minutes a day).
• Use free media aggregator tools such as Hootsuite.

For organizations:

• Embrace these tools! You may not be as competitive as those companies that do.
• Establish a corporate social media policy—all public-facing staff should have LinkedIn and probably Facebook accounts.
• Establish a company LinkedIn page.
• Establish a Facebook Fan page.
• Post YouTube videos about your product/service.
• Blog! This is the mother of all social media.
• Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn postings should be from a "person," not a "company."
• A social media policy should not cost much (most of the tools are free). Take 10 percent of your existing "traditional" marketing budget and reallocate to social media efforts. With this money, hire a "Director of Social Media" who understands social media and can lead the charge with the staff.

Thanks to our social media-ites:

• Corbin Ball, CMP, Corbin Ball Associates: www.corbinball.com
• Cindy Lo, Red Velvet Events: www.redvelvetevents.com
• Rodman Marymor, CMP, Cardinal Communications: www.cardinalweb.com
• James Spellos, CMP, Meeting U: www.meeting-u.com
• Cheryl Rivas, CMP, Meeting Sites Resource: www.meetingsites.net
• Marla Watson-Werst, CSEP, Pea Pod Productions: www.peapodgroup.com

If it’s not too 20th century for you, send a note to talkingtech@attendeenet.com with your own experiences, or thoughts on future Talking Tech topics.