What? You still aren’t using social media? I have news for you. It’s not 1995 anymore.

Maybe you aren’t having trouble adopting the inevitable; maybe it’s your friend, mother, sister or spouse who needs to be convinced. You know, the spouse who saw you get a job by posting on Twitter and who sees you wielding its power every day? Hypothetically.

But, Twitter and Facebook aren’t just for bloggers. I’m here to tell you that even the staunchest anti-socialites have reasons to be using these tools. If I could leave it at that I would, but I know you people. You want reasons. Have I ever told you that I like how you keep me on my toes? *dons ballet shoes* Let’s do this.

For Money

Are you in sales and could use extra business? Do you own your a store or restaurant? Do you sell things on ebay? Have garage sales? Need a job? All of these you can advertise FOR FREE on social media. When was the last time you filled out an employment application online? If it’s been awhile, let me just tell you that it is a tedious process. The days of mailing out your resume and cover letter are long gone and unless you know someone it’s hard to get your foot in the door anywhere.

How can social media help?

Let’s use Twitter as an example here and start with an easy way to jump into a conversation. Twitter search allows you to quickly find people with similar interests. Remember this is social media, so you will have to talk to people. The beauty of Twitter is that you can edit your thought before you send it, which is great for those of us who often stick a foot in our mouth.

Twitter Search. It doesn’t get any easier.

Search for your favorite sports team, your city, the company that holds your dream position; start conversations and continue them. You will find that just by being yourself you will naturally make connections with people who share your point of view and interests. However, I recommend an 80/20 ratio in using Twitter as a personal marketing tool. Make 80% of your content social conversation and 20% of it promotion. Trust me when I say that the next time Joe from Twitter needs the service you offer, he’ll come to you because you both hate the same hockey team. That comes from your love of the NHL, not from marketing your business.

Community

Does your school have fund raisers? Want to throw a block party? Do you need freeway-traffic info? Have you lost a dog? If you’ve ever had a classroom of parents hitting reply-all the Halloween party thread, you know what a pain it is to scroll through them to find the one that says you’re supposed to bring napkins.

How can social media help?

Facebook isn’t just a good place to share pictures of your kids with friends from high school, it’s also an excellent venue for small, private groups to make connections. I belong to a group for my kids’ school where we not only remind each other to send in Box Tops, but where I also picked up unused uniforms from another parent last week. Gap boys’ pants with the tag still on. Woot! My neighborhood has a block-watch page where we share descriptions of suspicious cars, lost pets and break-ins. There are local and regional groups for anything and everything under the sun. Or, you can create your very own!

Referrals

Could you use a new internet provider? Does your car need repairs? Have you thought of hiring someone to cut your grass, walk your dogs or clean your house? In this day and age I can’t imagine blindly calling someone out of the phone book when you can so easily ask for a testimonial. You don’t have to risk it!

How can social media help?

When I needed a mason for my crumbling chimney I turned to social media and not only found someone quickly, but I found someone who had done work for numerous Facebook friends. When I decided to color my own hair, I asked Twitter for recommendations on hair dye. It’s not just asking one friend for their opinion, it’s asking hundreds, if not thousands.

Support

Are you depressed? Have you had a child diagnosed with autism? Are you fighting a chronic illness? If you would feel better knowing you’re not alone, use social media to find people who understand what you’re going through.

How can social media help?

The wonderful thing about the internet is that the community is endless. When my son was diagnosed with a rare heart defect in utero, I couldn’t find anything about it on the internet. Nothing. That was in 2002. Now, a quick search turns up results even though incidence is only .1% of all congenital heart disease and I can find hospitals, cardiologists and other parents talking about it online. Something that once made me feel isolated now makes me feel like I have comrades in arms. *pumps fist in air*

Ideas and inspiration

Are you planning a wedding? Do you want to travel? Have you always wanted to attempt a DIY project? Are you still trying to find the perfect meatloaf recipe? Believe this, someone else has tried it and failed, then tried it again and again until they’ve perfected it. You don’t have to invent the wheel.

How can social media help?

Just ask. There are experts everywhere and if you can’t find an expert, there’s always Pinterest.

my pinterest “want” board. hint, hint!

Don’t tell my kids’ teachers, but Twitter has helped me with their homework more times than I can count. Especially if the counting involves two trains leaving stations twelve miles apart. Also, adverbial clauses. Need I say more?

So you see? Social media doesn’t have to be a foreign land to which you fear to venture; social media is the old front porch, back fence, or local coffee shop. It’s a, mostly, friendly place where you can learn new things, meet people and gain insight into fresh experiences. It’s where you can put your finger on the pulse of EVERYTHING.

And now, there’s no excuse not to.

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I’ve been feeling a little down lately. It seems that I can’t claw my way out of this whirlpool of doom and despair. I actually told the women I work with that I have become Eeyore. Thank goodness I’m a donkey who likes homemade wine!

But truly, other than us, our immediate families, or close friends’ suffering from cancer, divorce, money problems, vacation cancellations, heart issues, a special-needs kid, and trouble with the law, things are peachy. Just peachy. *grabs Zoloft*

However, as I told my friend Anissa – who had a stroke, a daughter who fought cancer, and then had more strokes – all of these situations have taught me not to take things for granted.

When I can barely breathe from running I tell myself to keep going; to run because I am able. To run for the members of my family who can not run right now.

When my husband snores, I am thankful he is lying next to me and not in another woman’s bed. Sure, I kick him, but once he rolls over and stops sucking air, I think about how fortunate I am that he honors our vows.

The point is, things could always be worse. *dons helmet* *braces for roof to cave-in*

I force myself to be cheerful by reminding myself of these things, exercising regularly, eating healthily, venting frequently, and hugging my loved ones abundantly. Also, adding -ly to every word I can.

I have also been watching a lot of America’s Funniest Home Videos. Nothing makes me feel better than watching people fall. At least I admit it. Go on. You can admit it too.

I have also turned to my Twitter favorites more times than I can count. Dear Mom, Twitter is where I work all day and is a place where you can update people on your status in 140 characters or less. A character is… oh, never mind. Just know that these people remind me things aren’t as bad as they could be.

I could be living through the I-hate-hand-washing phase.

Apparently, and I'm basing this on my daughter's reaction to taking a bath and washing her hands, pure acid pours out of our faucets.

— Cara (@Carabee) December 6, 2011

Or a colicky baby.

There's a special place in heaven for parents of colicky babies. It looks strangely like a spa... with tequila.

— Jennifer Kindhouse (@JKindhouse) November 3, 2011

Or have a dog in heat.

I just had to wipe a dog's vagina. This is not the life I had imagined.

— Morgan Schechter Shanahan (@the818) September 20, 2011

With a little faith, love, laughter, Twitter and homemade wine, I will get through the muck.

But, just in case, I’m going to keep this helmet on.

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Let’s talk a little bit about social media, shall we?

Mom, I’m going to get into the Twitter conversation now, so go ahead and turn off your computer. Wait…you don’t have a computer. Put down the paper with the blog posts I printed for you.

I have been working in social media for almost seven months now; which pretty much makes me an expert. It’s like that whole dog years thing, but don’t ask me to do the math.

My job is the best job in the world. Just ask me and I’ll tell you. Only, please don’t ask me when my husband is around because he isn’t living his dream of being a mean math teacher and I am sitting on the sofa with my feet propped up on the coffee table, reading the thoughts of brilliant people all across the web, occasionally stopping to hug my kids or pet the dog. This is a day at my office.

But this really isn’t about my job or how I make my husband jealous. This is about how I got here. This is for anyone who doubts the power of Twitter.

Just over a year ago, a childhood friend of mine held a conference here in Columbus for pet bloggers. Have you ever heard of BlogPaws? You should have heard about it. Well, unless you hate puppies and kittens…in which case you need to 1) Have your head examined and 2) Stay away from my children. You and your mean, hateful soul.

Though I occasionally write about my pets, I’m not really a pet blogger. Nor am I a mommy blogger, a tech blogger or any other niche blogger, but that’s another post entirely; title to be “Who the Heck AM I?” My point is that I didn’t know anyone at the conference. I talked to a few people in the lobby and I mingled with some folks in the bar, but I didn’t want to barge in on conversations between people who had wanted to meet each other for years.

Other than my childhood friend, who was kind of busy running the whole thing, the only other person I was remotely familiar with, and that I knew would be there, was the woman who would be giving the keynote speech, Elisa Camahort Page. Elisa is one of the founders and the C.O.O. of BlogHer, Inc. If you are a blogger, you already know that. She’s kind of a big deal.

I had never met Elisa, but I am a member the BlogHer ad network. That makes me kind of like Elisa’s honorary kin. Yee haw! I sent out a tweet saying, @ElisaC I can’t wait to meet you and hear your keynote speech. Well, it said something like that. You can’t really go back and search old tweets with great consistency. (Side note: This sometimes makes my job difficult and I would appreciate if one of you smart people would hurry up and develop something for that.)

After quite a few more tweets, I met Elisa. We had lunch together, I cried during her keynote speech (see above comments regarding puppies and kittens) and sat with her during a cocktail party that evening. I soaked in her brilliance. Then I went home.

Would I have met Elisa without Twitter? Probably. But, before I ever shook her hand, the ice had been broken. She knew what I looked like, she knew bits of my personality and she knew my sense of humor. I knew she was wicked smart, that she was a vegan and that she loved the theater. I was less intimidated meeting someone with whom I had already had numerous “conversations”.

And, a few months after that, when I took to Twitter and mentioned that I was looking for part-time work, saying something like, Looking for additional part-time job. My work history is in the now-defunct mortgage biz, I have a huge gap on my resume and I work in a school kitchen. Call me.

Guess who did?

Elisa.

The amazing C.O.O. of the largest community of women who blog (25+ million unique visitors a month – Nielson NetRatings) is now my boss and, for certain, I wouldn’t have the job without Twitter, because I never would have considered reaching out to BlogHer. Not a chance.

Instead, I put myself out there for the world to see. Okay, maybe not the world, but for my 2500 followers. So, it’s more like I put myself out there for a small, rural town. But, wow, are these townspeople awesome.

So, see…I am kind of a social media expert. I know that you have to be in this space in today’s culture, that you should let your personality come through in your tweets and that you need to put your desires out there. If there is something you want, just ask for it. You never know who is listening.

And, you never know…you just might get exactly what you’ve been dreaming of.

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