– Since we often hear from people questioning social media’s value, we should mention five “surprise success stories” using Facebook and Twitter for business detailed by Rick Burnes of HubSpot His list includes an equine dentist, a manufacturer of prefabricated steel buildings, makers of specialized paint and paper and an aircraft maintenance and support company. And there are plenty more to come.

– It’s now possible to “follow” companies on LinkedIn. This new feature, quietly introduced in late April, enables users to keep up with companies, whether one is looking for a job, looking for b-to-b-opportunities or just wanting to follow business developments. It’s a primitive, one-way system compared to Twitter and Facebook, in which you can interact directly with a company. Nor can companies offer timely status updates. However, you can see the status updates of key employees as well as promotions and other company news, assuming employees and the company are updating their accounts..While LinkedIn has a lot of work ahead to keep pace with the major social networks, this is still significant step in the right direction.

–Are you a job seeker? Since we regularly work with a local jobs networking group to assist the unemployed, we thought we’d share 13 “essential tips” for finding a job using LinkedIn from author and former pro athlete Lewis Howes. Howes offers solid advice, particularly for those who are new to the business networking site. One follow-up comment: If you add your blog or Twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile — as Howes correctly suggests you should do — make darn sure what you write on those places is professional. Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble.

– We know a lot of folks — of all ages— who don’t “get” Foursquare. Many of these same people also still remain openly skeptical of Twitter (We’re trying!) While the business potential of Foursquare has barely scratched the surface, consider this: Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley told Business Insider’s Henry Blodget last week that the service is adding 15,000 users a day. Not exactly Facebook numbers, but numbers that can’t be ignored.

I try to show them that people of all ages are adopters of social media. Facebook alone has had dramatic growth this year at nearly all age levels, none more pronounced than women over 50.

Now there are new numbers available on social media users. The median age of a Facebook user has now risen to 33, seven years older than in May 2008. That’s not far behind LinkedIn, the business networking site whose 50 million-plus users have a median age of 39. The median age of a Twitter user has dropped to 31, which shows that Generation Y, which was not an early adopter, is now turning to the microblogging service. There had been numerous articles earlier in the year that Gen Y thought Twitter was pointless. Apparently, that’s changing.

Facebook getting older? Twitter getting younger? What does this mean? It means the old adage is no longer true that only the young are the early adopters of technology. And new social sites designed to attract the young away from Facebook and Twitter are reportedly not having an impact. The young are willing to use the same social media now used by their parents.

So much for age creating a digital divide in social media. (Yes, MySpace remains decidedly young — a median age of 26 — but its focus has shifted to mostly music and entertainment. And it’s certainly not the dominant influence it once was.)

While we’re debunking myths, let’s burst another bubble. Remember the study which found people were becoming more socially isolated because of technology, especially mobile phones and the Internet? Not so fast, according to a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew found that these technologies do not have a harmful social impact upon people.

In fact, Pew found social networking sites provide an outlet for “discussion networks that are more likely to contain people from different backgrounds.” In other words, people have digital contact with a more diverse group of people.

Boomer business owners, isn’t that one of your company goals? Don’t you want to expand your reach to new people, new contacts outside your regular sphere?

Can’t wait for the next business owner to bring up age, or dismiss the merits of social networking. I’ve got some new research to share.

There was a time when that tactic might have driven significant traffic to your Web site. Or posing a question might have actually led to a good discussion.

There may be some Groups on LinkedIn where quality discussion takes place. However, those places are few and far between. Many people tell me they no longer open e-mails from the Groups. I’m about to join them.

What’s happened? LinkedIn Groups have mostly been hijacked by self-promoters whose idea of “discussion” is to endlessly promote their “free” seminars, blogs, products and themselves. My interest, naturally, has been social media, but there is very little “discussion” in those groups. There are plenty of people, though, who want to “help” me with their pitches, which they have the gall to present as discussion.

This morning, I received an e-mail from someone obviously involved in setting up a Group, inviting me to their “free” teleseminar. The e-mail subject line said it was an “announcement” from the Group. They said to hurry, seats are filling up fast. Impressive, since just recently this same individual was spamming me with another free session, and the seats were going quickly. I have serious ethical issues with an e-mail coming from a Group with an individual using the Group name to tout his business. Where is LinkedIn on this?

Another problem with LinkedIn Groups is that it’s hard to find true discussions that are all that informative. I can only speak for social media topics, but I can tell you most of the talk there is behind the curve. I find much more valuable — and current — information on Twitter or elsewhere. Yes, there are tons of spammers on Twitter, but I have the flexibility to unfollow or block users if need be.

Sorry, LinkedIn, no disrespect. I still think there is great potential for businesses in using the social networking site to grow connections and get introductions. They’ve established clear guidelines in that section of LinkedIn and crack down on people who violate the rules. (I also still think the Advanced Search feature is a goldmine of business intelligence.) However, I can no longer recommend that business people join Groups unless their business is a rare case where the self-promoters haven’t already poisoned the atmosphere.

Small businesses and professionals, what do you think? Are LinkedIn Groups relevant any more? Do any help you in your business?

1. Super Moms.
2. The Thing. (Updates on what thing they’re into)
3. BraggaBROcious. (Male or female, they brag about their lives)
4 and 5. Emotionally Yours and Constant Contact (Obvious)
6. The Drinker/Eater (Also obvious).
7. Honored Mom/Dad (Tommy scored two goals!)

Readers added their own, including the Facebooker who never updates their status — The Observer or The Lurker. Others pointed out inept marketers who don’t know how to use the site. (Of course, one marketer couldn’t resist plugging his own site.)

Peter has inspired me to work on my own lists for Twitter and LinkedIn personality categories. Your ideas are welcome.

Here’s just a few for each site to get started. Moving forward, we’ll certainly focus on more than just the clever putdowns, even if they are more fun.

Twitter:

• The Strafer. The user who can’t resist five or more tweets at the same time. Guess they think that this is effective marketing. I call it hit the Unfollow button.
• No-Free Lunchmate. The marketer who plugs “free” things, which invariably cost something, at minimum your e-mail address.
• The Forgetful. The user who teases the same content constantly — usually their own.

LinkedIn:

• The Conversational Spammer. The user who turns every appearance in a Group, Ask A Question, or Answer A Question into a pitch for his services.
• The Expert’s Expert: The user who spends as much time calling themself an expert as he/she does communicating on the site.
• The Forgetful. See Twitter above.

Again, we’d love to hear your suggestions. Yes, you’ll find teases to this post on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but notice the lack of spam or any sales pitch.

There’s a name for that category in social media, too. It’s called: The Rarity.

He wasn’t nearly as excited, however, about Twitter. When I told him — an educated guess — that many of his clients and prospective clients probably use Twitter, he said he’s “not there yet.” He said he doesn’t see it as a marketing/sales tool.

I tried to explain to him that Twitter is not all about people tweeting about what they had for breakfast. (True story: The only time I’ve ever read anything like that was on Facebook, where a friend wrote “I’m eating a delicious sandwich” as her status update. Still give her grief over that.)

Twitter users are far more receptive than Facebook users to marketing/product conversations. By that, I mean ongoing conversation about a product or service, not blatant, in-your-face pitches. Twitter has the highest percentage of users among the social media sites who are entrepreneurs, according to several surveys.

So what’s the problem? Then I remembered last week’s latest Harris Poll conducted for LinkedIn — 69% of U.S. consumers said they don’t know enough about Twitter to use it. Marketers were particularly harsh in their response to Twitter — 21% thought it wouldn’t go mainstream while 17% said it was “already over.” And only 8% of marketers felt Twitter was an effective promotional tool.

Why the reluctance on Twitter? Why haven’t the Time magazine cover stories and relentless, positive daily coverage (even The New York Times) quieted the reservations of people like this entrepreneur?

When I look at the 69% figure, I think of more than just people needing more information before they use Twitter. Many people still don’t get what Twitter is; it lacks any real identity or clear purpose. LinkedIn is business networking, period. Facebook is social between friends, acquaintances and, increasingly, family. Marketers are just trying to ride the wave of Facebook’s immense popularity.

But Twitter? Many people don’t understand the point of 140-character posts read by strangers. They’re not sure if Twitter is social, business, bulletin board, news, opinion or what. It’s perceived as untamed and unfocused. While Twitter users have the ability to control who they follow or those who follow them, there is still a Wild West quality to the site. Marketers, spammers, porn star wannabes and weirdos can find you easily, even if you can quickly block them. Because Facebook and LinkedIn are perceived as far more protective of the user, people feel safer there.

Brand identity and a quality user experience are the two biggest challenges for Twitter moving forward, particularly as it looks to cash in on its vast audience. And social media marketers and strategists will be challenged in convincing many professionals and small businesses that Twitter is worth a look. Trust me, Twitter is worth checking out.

The audience, mostly young and very smart, asked great questions. Several attendees hung around afterwards and asked even more questions. Someone pointed out that an employee had walked out after eating and avoided the talk. Someone else quickly added, “That’s all right. He’ll never use it [LinkedIn] anyway.”

Another professional showed similar skepticism during a talk I gave. He didn’t leave the room, but he was openly dismissive of social media. And I guess he dismissed me as well when he asked “You actually make money off this?”

Anderson Analytics’ recent research found three groups of people least likely to embrace social media — the time-starved (although Anderson says nearly half of that group will be using social media by year’s end), those concerned about computer security and, finally, Group 3, those who think social media are stupid. The research found 94% of this group will never use social media.

Both skeptics I’ve mentioned undoubtedly fall into Group 3. So there’s a 6% chance their minds can be changed. How do you reach those whose minds are made up?

First, I’ve seen too many people change their mind in the past year. In the Atlanta area, the statistics prove it. Those over 25 and even over 55 are flocking to social media, especially Facebook. We’ve previously written about that phenomenal growth, pushing Atlanta to No. 2 in registered users in the U.S., trailing only New York. My guess is that both of these skeptics have been getting — or will get — pressure from associates and friends to communicate more through social media, whether they want to or not.

Second, the business case studies are coming like a flood. Every day, you read accounts of new success stories in the media. See last Friday’s New York Times piece on Twitter and small business, for starters. Twitter is being used successfully in … Blowing Rock, N.C.? Books and studies are proliferating at a rapid rate, detailing strategies that lead to results.

In short, using social media as part of an overall strategy is a must for most professionals and small businesses. I’ll probably never know what happens with these two skeptics, but I’d wager at least one of them eventually changes his mind.

Now those are odds that I’ll take any day.

Excuse: But there’s no true ROI in social media.
Response: Not true. ROI can be measured if the right metrics are tracked upon measureable goals. However, ROI means more than Return on Investment in social media. There is also a Return on Influence. That is harder to measure, but points to your growing influence as a thought leader or business owner. And those benefits may far outweigh traditional ROI.

Excuse: Social media is just a passing fad.
Response: Not true. Growth remains strong across all demographic groups. All signs point to your online social profile serving as the basis for how sites will serve you content and advertising in the future. Our economy is increasingly based upon online social interactions. Also, see Tuesday’s blog: Your future depends on social media.

Excuse: No point learning this stuff. Something else is coming along and will replace it.
Response: There is no doubt that technology changes rapidly. However, research indicates that online social profiles will only increase in importance, not lessen.

Excuse: Isn’t Facebook really meant just for social interaction with friends?
Response: For the most part, yes, but if used in conjunction with other tools, it can be a pleasant bonus in growing your brand. Be careful about selling yourself to your friends, though.

Excuse: But how does Facebook grow my business?
Response: Fan pages work in some cases. Using their Living Social tools (without overdoing them) can also help. The bigger benefit is in making connections or reconnecting with old acquaintances. Keeping in touch builds social awareness, which never hurts in business. You can never have too many friends.

Excuse: How can you communicate anything meaningful on Twitter in 140 characters?
Response: People convey a lot of information or links to good information in that space. Link-shortening services also enable you to reduce long URLs to a few characters.

Excuse: Why do I need to use LinkedIn? It’s only for people trying to find a job.
Response: If you want to establish yourself as an authority in any business, you should use LinkedIn to share information through its numerous Groups and also Q and As. If you are looking for new business contacts, LinkedIn offers great market research and introduction possibilities.

Excuse: Isn’t there risk in using social media?
Response: Possibly. Use common sense in what you post and don’t overdo self-promotion.

Excuse: Isn’t it possible that a connection can use social media to hurt my business?
Response: Yes. But that would be true whether you are using social media or not. If you already are, you have a chance of minimizing damage.

Excuse: I still think this is a waste of time. Why should I care?
Response: Our culture is moving rapidly away from advertising and one-way marketing to the consumer or client. The power has shifted to the customer. Business and business leaders are more accountable than ever through social media. Ignore at your own peril.

Those are enough excuses for now. We’ll go deeper in explaining some of the responses incoming days. Have a question? Comment or e-mail jay@jayknowsnetworking.com.

Yes, those are ostriches in the photo. Ostriches are probably one of the most misunderstood animals because legend insists they bury their heads in the sand.

Not true.  At worst, ostriches simply keep their heads low to the ground when hiding. Facts: Ostriches are fast and have very sharp claws. And they have the largest eyes of any land-based animal.  So they don’t miss a trick, just like the momma carefully eying me as I feed her kids.

What’s the point, you ask?  That reality is far from prevailing myths. One of the biggest myths I encounter are professionals who say that spending time on that “online stuff” — blogs, Facebook, Twitter, even LinkedIn — is a waste of time.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The business rules of engagement have changed. Social networking — the use of Web sites and online tools to build relationships – is here to stay.

Maybe you know you should be involved in social networking, but don’t know where to start. Perhaps you think you just don’t have the time.  This blog will discuss some of the tips and tricks that will simplify social networking for you.

If you follow and practice these suggestions, you will see that social networking is essential for today’s busy professional. And no one will believe the myth that your head is in the sand.