Flickr Photo: zombophotoI do a lot of traveling and talk to lots of people about social media and why I think it matters for nonprofits. I give a good twenty minutes about how the ground has shifted under our feet and social media is aligned with our current values as a society and a sector. It's one of those 10,000 feet view sorts of things.

And while I think that most people really appreciate the context, I can practically HEAR them thinking as I talk, "Yeah, but how the heck do I actually figure this stuff out?"

I usually give a few pieces of advice and then start showing off the tools that matter most to me. Now I have some new sources of inspiration for my talks. Chris Brogan has a great post today that consists almost entirely of questions:

• What were your first steps into social media?
• Who were your early people you admired and followed?
• How did you get started?
• If you were going to give advice to someone starting out, what would you tell them?
• What will you do in the next few months with social media?

There are dozens of comments with answers already, and they reveal some pretty great advice to folks who are currently wondering how to get started with social media. A few of the points come up again and again:

• Jump In/Try New Things: Pick a tool that looks promising for your goals and just start using it. You may not like every tool, and it may take you a few tries to really get something, but you won't know unless you try.
• Do it Every Day: Most of the value of these tools comes from long term and consistent interaction. You won't see the full value unless you make the tool part of your daily work process.
• Add value: You can learn a thing or two by lurking, but the fun really begins when you actually participate. Don't just write blog posts and comment on other blogs. Share resources as often as you ask for them on FaceBook or Twitter. When you actively participate, you'll see the best return on your investment.

It was also interesting to note that while most people began their social media career with blogs, at least a couple cite CB radios as their first foray.

Let's all practice adding value now: leave a comment on Chris's blog and answer his questions for yourself!

And yes, I am listening to "Convoy" as I write this post!