During a social media presentation last week the president of an organization and business executive said, “sure, these are great tools but it takes so much time.” Absolutely it does, communicating your message through any outlet or tool you are currently using offline takes time as well. Facebook statistics show the average user spends more than 55 minutes a day on the site.

Rings Some of the major television advertisers of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games touted their plans to utilize the occasion to launch significant social media efforts. Though I find myself looking hard to find it. There is for certain great creativity among the ads including a thank you to the moms behind the athletes; social awareness campaign for Haiti; health and wellness initiatives; and sharing the food, drink and products used by Team USA athletes.

I find awards shows and even more so – guilty pleasure revealed! - the E! red carpet coverage entertaining. Whether or not this is your thing, one can appreciate E!'s creative use of social media for the Golden Globes Red Carpet Show and hopefully take away from it a bit of creative inspiration.

Hollywood

Along with social media familiarity among businesses and non-profits communities the number of these organizations active on Facebook and Twitter and branded social networks is growing. Congratulations! Now, can I find you?

There are oodles of social media tools within which to create a profile, a page, a group, an identity. It's completely addictive once you get into it and have a comfort level with your friends, followers and fans. This makes it really easy to find yourself trying to be in many places at once keeping up with different conversations.

People often ask me for social media rules: How do we communicate? What do you mean have a conversation? What if we don’t have enough fans? How do you handle negativism? Many rules of the road especially with ever-changing social media tools can add to the intimidation factor of engaging. Rather than rules for what to do or not do, here are my 10 suggestions to try. Much more will come of your social media approach if you go beyond what has been tested and challenge yourself to identify new approaches to best achieve your goals.

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It’s been debated for some time the value of social media for companies and organizations – Facebook, Ning, Twitter, Digg – what's the ROI? The problem is, most of those analyzing it from the outside, and even those within companies attempting to tap into the built-in audience of 350 million on Facebook, are looking through marketing, advertising, public relations, technology, business development or other lenses based on years of more traditional experience.

No two plans for social media are alike, even within the same company or organization. An individualized method is important to success. Two things I enjoy most about social media are the endless approaches and styles to addressing the needs and goals for social media approach and people.

One professional quality I admire most, and see time and again as a key to success, is determination. Those companies, organizations and entrepreneurs taking a determined approach to social media are the ones prevailing. Confidence doesn't have to come only from knowing something well or having all of the answers, confidence can come from a determined spirit. Social media campaigns have to be customized to the company, the cause, the individual, a specific event, even down to a specific product line.

We hear a great deal about the importance of transparency and the need to be open on the Internet and in social media profiles. My interpretation of that is less literal than be open to any and all. I am a parent who takes seriously the many security threats online to both myself and my family. Facebook is a great place to share information about me and our family and connect personally and socially.