Susarla.com

Here is a summary of my readings, research and my take on what Social Media means to a business. The best way to learn was to experiment. Participate in a network to get a feel of it.

1. Create remarkable content. Links are the currency of the Internet. Think NYC. Links are like lots of train stations, airports, bus terminals, subways, and a zillion other means of getting to your destination from the world outside.
2. Build content-based communities. Transform your Website from a brochure to a vibrant community.
3. Hit a thousand points of light. Publish your content everywhere that matters — Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or wherever your target audience hangs.
4. Optimize. Make your content search engine- and social media-friendly with easy “scanability” of titles and URLs.
5. Publicize. Give your community ways to help you market. Make your community a hub with spokes to different “watering holes” (e.g., have a Twitter button, Digg button, Facebook Connect link, etc.).
6. Measure. New measurements are required. For example, measure not just site visitors but the sum of email lists, RSS subscribers, Twitter followers, LinkedIn Group members, Youtube followers, etc.
7. Mind your Twitter do’s and don’ts. Don’t use Twitter just to reproduce RSS feeds, and don’t talk at followers. Do offer something different, do cultivate a unique voice, and do follow others (don’t just be followed).
8. Bring value to the community. If you’re an advertiser, give people something to do (e.g., brain games, contests, or projects), listen, be authentic and transparent, respond, and listen some more.
9. Become a community influencer. Cultivate your status in the community and become a trusted source. Don’t just be a “peer” — become a “super-peer.”
10. Know your goals and pick your spots. Understand where you are going and the audience you’re trying to reach. Social media is not appropriate for every application, and the ROI won’t always be there.

There are several source to quote here. I wish i could list them all.