A friend of mine who works for a small, local services company shared that they have a Facebook page and connect with their friends and fans. The type of messages the company shares ranges from general information about their service to holiday wishes. I learned that there had not been a lot of traction out of the Facebook page. In other words, there has been no uptick in business generated as a result of creating the Facebook page. There has been awareness, which is a valuable, however there has been no measurable change in their business.

My belief is, and this cuts across all mediums – people are bombarded with constant messaging. Whether you receive TV ads, direct mail pieces, radio spots or those annoying fliers that people put on your car, we’re all constantly targeted. Part of the beauty of social media is the ability to create a real connection with people - friends and family, business partners or individuals and other businesses who are simply interested in what you do.

So…there’s a real opportunity, when managed correctly, to connect and make the interaction process valuable. Your friends and family may care about your most recent vacation or your baby pictures. Do your business connections have the same interest? Conversely, your business connections want to know the value you bring to a business relationship. What problem to you solve, that your competitor cannot? Do your friends and family find this interesting, engaging or compelling?

Social media is valuable for making connections with your audience. For businesses, the trick is to engage your audience in the areas that create a dialogue, seek a solution or provide possible answers to a problem.

As you engage your audience, focus on the area that you’re trying to generate discussion. If you’re focused on friends and family, it’s easy to share those areas that create commonality. It’s an opportunity to share yourself and your life.

But if you’re focused on business, your message should look to add value for your business audiences. The communication becomes muddled and your audience will disengage if you cannot create business value.