Almost daily we hear of people getting into trouble because of the new communication system called ‘social media’.

Last summer, these new networks were blamed for aiding rioters across England. As I write this article, the BBC news website contains three headlines about problems caused by the inappropriate use of Twitter and Facebook.

If you have never used social media, this diet of negative news could well increase your concern, dislike or even fear about this aspect of the communication revolution. But in the same way that our ancestors feared rail travel or believed that radio waves could prove fatal, much of the worry around social media is based on misunderstanding or misinformation.

My hope is that these short guides will help you to better understand the changes that are taking place. I’m happy to answer your questions – email them to me at andrew@writecombination.com.

The biggest danger faced by social media users is the one each of us must guard against daily – speaking before we think. We’ve all let words fly from our lips which, if we’d paused for a moment, we would have left unsaid.

In the same way, too many of us send out short messages on systems such as Facebook or Twitter without considering the consequences. Many of us type in the same way that we speak – but a private comment behind closed doors is not published to the world, while a tweet (a message on Twitter) is.

Privacy is, quite rightly, a major concern for many users of social media. Some of us are afraid others will find out, and misuse, our personal information if we use social networks. This is best avoided by not publishing more information than you are comfortable with.

Some networks, such as Facebook, allow you to control who has access to the pictures and comments that you publish. You choose who can see what. Others networks, such as Twitter, are designed to be more public, so users should be more cautious.

In the same way that we lock our cars and houses, keep valuables out of sight in public and are wary of strangers at the front door, we should also take sensible precautions when using social media networks.

Let’s end on a positive note. Three years ago, I was without work. I joined Twitter and decided to take my career in a new direction. Within weeks, I found freelance jobs, as a writer, through my new network. It has allowed me to build a new career. I know that many others have also discovered fresh opportunities through the new world of social media.

Next month: What could social media do for you?

Life, it seems, is unfair. Attempts to level the playing field, to give equal opportunities, to avoid favouritism, are imperfect. Instead we often see the well-connected and the confident succeed, leaving the rest of us to mutter ‘if only’ under our breath.

‘Get Noticed’, by Marcus Taylor and Rob Lawrence, promises to change all that. While it can’t fix the inherent unfairness of life, it can help you to join the ranks of the successful by showing you how to raise your profile and your self-confidence.

This short book won’t guarantee that you’ll become a major celebrity in whatever field you choose to play in, but it gives you a strong nudge in the right direction.

It is an essential read for anyone wanting to get better results from their business networking.

Having read it, you surely can’t fail, even subconsciously, to implement some of its strategies. You’re probably using some of them already, without being aware of the impact they’re having on your profile with those around you.

‘Get Noticed’ draws your attention to the attitudes and actions of successful people, and explains how they can also work for you.

The simplest things, such as dressing in a way which makes you feel confident, or learning how to engage in meaningful small talk, can make a huge difference to the way others perceive you.

The book builds on these, showing how ‘getting noticed’ can improve your business prospects and leadership skills, giving you the confidence to succeed in many other areas of your life.

You can purchase the book from: www.wegetnoticed.com

It’s often making news headlines, either with concerns about safety or privacy, or because of the antics of its users. It’s also providing a great way for people to stay in touch with their friends and families.

Whatever your opinion of the site, Facebook is here to stay and will continue to play an important role as a communication channel for millions of people and, increasingly, businesses.

The fundamentals of Facebook

Facebook allows you to share information with a network of contacts (known as ‘Friends’), and potentially with a wider network if you choose to allow it.

This information comprises short messages, photographs, videos, website links and similar items. Its use spans generations: teenagers use it to chat with their friendship groups, while grandparents use it to keep up with growing families.

You have considerable control over who sees the information that you publish on Facebook. The organisation has responded to criticism of its approach to personal privacy by adding new privacy levels, although the default option is usually ‘share with everyone’. You need to change this if you want to restrict visibility of your actions to a smaller group of people.

Through Facebook you can also initiate polls, schedule and publicise events, and play games. There is a built in search function, which connects to the wider internet through the Bing search engine.

Organisations, groups and businesses on Facebook

Your club, favourite charity or business can now have its own Page on Facebook. This lets it communicate with fans, supporters or customers who also have Facebook accounts.

This communication can be both to and from followers or customers. Facebook is increasingly becoming another way for organisations of all types to listen to what people have to say about them and to them. It also gives potential for smaller groups and firms to reach a much wider audience.

Facebook continues to change

If you buy a book about how to use Facebook, the chances are it will already be out of date. New features are continually being added and some older functions, which didn’t prove to be that useful, are being withdrawn. While the fundamentals of how it works remain the same, the way it looks has changed quite significantly in just a few years.

Facebook was one of the very first social media websites and these are still early days for this new aspect of the communication revolution. More change, and lots of it, is a certainty.

Years ago, my boss sent me on a Dale Carnegie course. Over the weeks, I saw many of my fellow delegates transformed.

Hesitant presenters acquired the confidence to address a room packed with strangers. The inarticulate found a coherent voice. The quiet and shy became more outspoken. And it was all achieved in an atmosphere of mutual respect and support.

The constructive, upbeat tone of that course, and the training methods of Dale Carnegie, continues into this valuable adaptation of his original book ‘How to win friends and influence people’.

Words like ‘relationship’, ‘engagement’, ‘connecting’ and ‘social’ are at the heart of today’s digital communication revolution. They are also words that Carnegie understood and promoted as he empowered others. He discovered, a long time ago, that ‘the secret to all interpersonal progress is adding value, and doing so with regularity’.

This book is a gentle reminder of why, and how, to keep adding value in all your relationships. Family, friends, colleagues, customers and competitors are all within its scope. The advice is generously lubricated with real-life, often very contemporary, stories, and many are connected to the digital media, such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

This is probably a book best read in small chunks. A single chapter should provide enough inspiration, and food for thought, for each day. I found it difficult to read more than three or four chapters in a sitting, as there was usually at least one thought or idea on every page that set me thinking.

There is no secret formula or magic trick inside this book. Instead, it contains a timeless recipe for success which, as I, and many others, know from personal experience, works. It’s a recipe which transfers easily from the slower days of the 1930s to the frenetic, instantaneous world of today’s unsleeping digital networks.

The success of this book, as with Carnegie’s original training and publications, is that it appeals to our better nature. It prompts us to do those things that we instinctively know we should, but at the same time frequently neglect. We’re encouraged to treat others in ways we would like to be treated ourselves, because in so doing, we build strong networks of trust, and it’s on those that our own success is built.

‘How to win friends and influence people in the digital age’ is published by Simon & Schuster in January 2012.

Even if you don’t own a computer or have never used the internet, you’ve probably heard of Facebook, Twitter, and the modern method of communication called ‘social media’.

The internet is allowing people to exchange ideas and share information in novel and interesting ways that most of us never imagined even just a few years ago. We are living through nothing less than a revolution in communication.

As so often happens in revolutions, it’s the younger generations who most readily embrace the new ideas. Those of us who’ve been around a bit longer have the wisdom to know that new isn’t always better, and have an attachment, not always entirely rational, to the old ways.

But as your own experience may have already shown you, the new ways of talking to one another can bring benefits to all. Families separated by many miles, perhaps even living on different continents, are able to share pictures and news through Facebook. The instant messaging system called Twitter has allowed many of us to make new contacts, and even new friends.

You don’t have to be left out

My name is Andrew Knowles and I am a freelance writer living in Wyke Regis. Over the next few months, I’ll be publishing short guides to these new ways of communicating through the internet. Each month, I’ll look at a particular aspect of social media including the different ways it is being used, security and privacy concerns and the benefits of each of the leading systems.

I’ll also answer questions you may have. You’re welcome to get in touch with me by sending an email to andrew@writecombination.com.

Social media is not going to disappear

The new world of Facebook, Twitter and the like is not going to go away. The names might alter over time, but the fundamental idea of social media – where people can communicate with diverse individuals, groups and organisations – is not going to change.

Social media is not just about idle chat or sharing photos. It can also help you to communicate with the businesses you buy from. Just this week, I had a problem ordering goods from a leading supermarket. From Facebook, I discovered that my problem was not unique, and using Twitter, I was able to reach their customer service team.

The result was a phone call from a senior manager, apologising for the problems and offering me a sizeable discount off my future shopping. Social media is helping to give individuals the power to reach big businesses in a new and powerful way.

Next month: What are the dangers of using social media?

Further guides to social media.

Of course, I’m assuming that you’re aware of the unbroken exhilaration currently accompanying the almost daily changes to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and the rest. Social media geeks and gurus are spewing a torrent of tweets and bleats about this and that new feature, as the big platforms jostle untidily for position.

But however exciting the rollout of the ‘new look’ Twitter page or the multi-administrator function on Google+ may be (today’s current hot topics), the big question around for social media is how well, or indeed whether, it is improving communication.

Only a few years ago we conducted most information exchange, both business and personal, through a limited number of channels. We met, we sent letters or we spoke on the telephone. The broadcast media did just that, sending out its messages through print, radio and television.

Today, the number and variety of communication channels is growing daily. I might, and sometimes do, exchange messages with the same person through Skype, Twitter, Facebook, SMS or email. The choice of channel is sometimes determined by content, sometimes by convenience.

The challenge for all of us, and particularly for those of us managing commercial communication, is to choose the right channel for the right message at the right time.

What we must avoid is infatuation with the new and the novel. All the heat and light around social media is attractive, but we mustn’t forget that the majority of consumers still don’t get it.

Even the ubiquitous Facebook, with its gazillions of users, doesn’t reach as many households as the humble letter or the antiquated landline telephone. National newspapers might be scrabbling to retain readers, but virtually every home in the country has newsprint pushed through its letterbox once a week, in the form of a freebie paper.

We are living through a communication revolution. It’s exciting, bewildering and downright frustrating at times. But we communicators must never lose sight of this essential truth: if our message is not received in the manner we intended, it has failed.

It doesn’t matter how clever the technology, or how slick the presentation. If the target audience don’t understand it, or worse, can’t even access it, we have failed to do our jobs properly.

So what I am saying, as much to myself as anyone else, is don’t get caught up in the thrill of exploring the new bells and whistles on our social media toys. By all means, keep a finger on the fast-beating pulse, but don’t allow yourself to be distracted from the real work, which is all about presenting clear messages that achieve their objectives.

And if that means putting together a hand-written letter, so be it.

What question?

The one in the visitor’s mind when your site springs into view on their browser.

They won’t have found their way to your website by accident. They’ll have come with a purpose and behind that purpose is a question.

For a few precious seconds, you’ll be presented with the perfect opportunity – a potential customer giving you their undivided attention. Unfortunately, you won’t be present in person to seize the moment, so it’s the responsibility of your website to capture and hold their interest – by answering their question.

Every potential customer has a question

Whether they walk into a shop or click through to a website, everyone brings a question with them. It might be: ‘Do they sell what I am looking for?’ Or: ‘Do they have it in the colour I want?’ It could be: ‘What will solve my particular problem?’

The simplest, and most common, question is: ‘How much does it cost?’

For what could be the briefest of moments, they’ll scan your webpage for the answer to their question. If they see it, or at least get a clear indication that they’re very close to finding it, they’re likely to stay longer.

But if, during that handful of seconds after they first arrive, they can’t see the information they’re looking for, they’ll be gone.

Keep their attention – keep the answer obvious

Design your website to answer visitors’ questions and they’re more likely to stay.

That’s why sites such as Amazon do so well. You arrive wanting to know whether they stock a particular product and how much it costs. The site tells you the answer immediately and also lets you know how soon it could be delivered.

It’s not just about selling products. The BBC news website is a model of good design because you arrive wanting to know what’s going on, and it tells you.

Think of the questions that potential customers are likely to have in mind when they arrive at your website. Do they get the information they are looking for within seconds of arriving? If not, why not? And what changes can you make to improve this?

To keep people looking at your website for longer, you need to give them a reason for staying. The most effective way to achieve this is to answer the question that’s on their mind when they arrive.

While he isn’t a household name, Cornelius is an established author with six scholarly titles to his credit and years of experience in journalistic writing. He also loves to provide coaching in writing and public speaking, and has converted his enthusiasm for the former into a short, informative eBook.

While being rooted in his own experience as a writer, the book contains extensive insights into the motivation and inspiration of well-known authors. It offers reassurance that many of the issues you may face as an aspiring author – procrastination, writer’s block, choosing what to put in and what to leave out – are all well known challenges to even the most successful writers.

Cornelius is extremely open about the problems he has faced as a writer and he shares some of his solutions. These allow you to learn both from him, and also from a number of other authors to whom he refers.

Whatever your motivation for writing a book – be it factual or fiction, a record for future generations or an educational guide – Cornelius has something of value to offer you. His are wise words which, through a blend of gentle questioning, understated encouragement and inspirational insights, can set you on the path to turning out your own work.

‘Making your book happen’ can be purchased online from www.howtowriteabook.org.uk. Cornelius is also offering a free short book from this website, entitled: ‘21 Essential guidelines for writing fiction and non-fiction’.

But if you distribute poor quality links, you’ll simply be ignored.

Here are some common reasons, based on my experience, of why the links you post don’t get the clicks and RTs that you hoped for.

1. You’re sending out broken links

The reader clicks on the link but it takes them nowhere. Something went wrong in the process of adding the link to the tweet. You can prevent this by testing every link yourself.

2. You’re sending out links to the wrong page

This is worse than sending a broken link. The reader assumes the link is working but is bemused, because they’ve probably arrived somewhere that’s not directly relevant to the tweet.

3. Your tweet doesn’t persuade the reader to click on the link

In one or two short sentences you must tell the reader what clicking the link will do for them. Maybe it’s a special offer, useful information or a moment of humour. A simple test here is: would what you’ve written entice you to click on the link?

4. Your link doesn’t deliver what was promised

Congratulations on persuading the reader to click the link. But if there’s a disconnect, if the reader doesn’t find what they expected, they’ll probably move on very quickly. They’ll also be less likely to trust the links you send out in the future.

5. You send out a link that looks like spam

You’ve probably seen spam tweets coming from users you trust because someone has hacked into their account. It happens. Could your tweets be misinterpreted as spam? Don’t make vague statements or send out links with no text at all.

These are five common reasons why posting links on Twitter doesn’t achieve the results that you hope for. If you have other questions about using links in tweets, or in other social media such as Facebook or Google+, why not leave a comment?

At the most basic level, Google+ is akin to Facebook. You create a profile, choose to follow people, post messages, and share pictures, videos and links.

But don’t assume it’s just a Facebook clone. Google has infused their new social media product with ideas drawn from other products, such as Twitter, and added plenty of their own. And, as many commentators have observed, they like to release products early and add lots of updates. Don’t expect Google+ to look the same for very long.

The main features of Google+

As with Facebook and Twitter, Google+ is built around a rolling stream of messages from your contacts. They’ve even called it the ‘Stream’.

Unlike Twitter or Facebook, these messages can be as long as you like. You could publish 400 word blog posts into the Stream. Others can comment on your posts and if they like it they’ll hit the +1 button (equal to a ‘Like’ or favourite). There’s also a Share option, reposting a message to your contacts.

Google+ Circles

It’s in the organisation of contacts where you’ll find the most distinctive feature of Google+. Every contact has to be placed in at least one category, called a Circle. These may be labelled ‘Friends’ or ‘Star Trek fans’ or ‘People who keep reptiles’. The choice is yours, as you can create as many Circles as you want and each contact can be in more than one.

When you post a message you choose whether it’s visible to the entire world or limited to contacts in one or more Circles. This gives you more control over who sees what than is currently offered by Twitter or Facebook.

Google+ Sparks

Another feature of Google+ is named ‘Sparks’, which doesn’t really say much about what it does. Sparks are basically Google search terms embedded into your account. Google says they are ‘stories on the things you love from across the Web’.

Let’s say you like reptiles, or more specifically, crocodiles. Add ‘Crocodiles’ as an Interest in Sparks and you’ll be presented with a continually updated list of interesting content about these beasts, which you can then choose to share with your contacts.

Google+ Hangouts

The final element of Google+, and a feature I’ve not tried yet, is something called a ‘hangout’. It’s an online meeting place into which you invite people, to interact through video and live chat.

As I said at the top of this brief introduction, you can expect to see features added, or changed, fairly soon. Google have already tried, and failed, to break into social media with tools such as Buzz. Google+ is a more complete offering and could well attract a strong following.