Dive in!

Just as you’re getting the hang of using your Facebook page, the social network adds new tools you have to learn. I know the feeling -- I’ve given up learning about social networks from books; by the time they’re published they’re already out of date.

Now, for example, you can login to your Facebook photo gallery via a Kodak Picture Kiosk at Target stores, and then edit and print them right then and there.

Here’s an example of how fast social and mobile technology evolves from my own experience. In April I gave a presentation on social media and mobile technology at retail for a technology user conference. I was invited to speak on that topic again at another user conference last month. That’s great, I thought. Just a couple of quick updates to my PowerPoint deck and I’m all set.

Wrong.

Every page but the title page was updated; more than half were completed replaced.
That’s why you’ll often hear me say that the best way of learning social media is to immerse yourself in it by diving in. Join Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, build a video channel on YouTube and share videos. Better yet, make a Facebook page for your family and add your kids and grandkids to it. This way you can practice with them. I’m sure they’ll teach you a thing or two about using the platform.

After all, they’ve likely been on it for years already!