But is it Worth It?

Yikes. I just looked at my first blog post and it's still an odd feeling to write something and see it in print on the internet. Very different than the almost illegible scrawling I've done in personal journals over the years. (Well, THAT certainly shows my age!)

Okay...on to my comments about Chapter 1 of The Social Media Bible.

I had lunch with a friend recently who provides marketing and communications services for a non-profit agency. We were talking about social media and she made the comment that non-profits really can't use social media tools because they have a small staff and limited budget with which to tackle the endless "to-do list".

The Social Media Bible is directed at the for-profit business sector. But it seems clear that social media will benefit non-profits and small businesses as much or perhaps more than the larger companies. Many of the tools are far less expensive and probably more effective than traditional advertising methods. On page 5, the author writes, "Social media is just a new set of tools, new technology that allows us to more efficiently connect and build relationships with our customers and prospects."

For example, in my job in the UNL Office of University Communications, social media is a vital tool for reaching our students in the places where they congregate, like Facebook and YouTube.

Anyone who works with a non-profit or a small business needs to consider investing time in social media arenas. The investment may require some restructuring of staff time and budget, but the return will be worth it.