We’re reading a lot more these days about the global economy coming out of its hibernation. Whether or not this is true, and just how much we’re waking up, we’ll avoid that debate in this arena. That’s for a different kind of expert. What we will do for you here is offer some advice on how you as a small business owner can be your own social media marketer. There are certain skill sets needed to do social media for small business, (and it’s important to know we’re not just talking about Facebook and Twitter) so let’s review what others say about being an expert and what else we can add.

Paul Dunay of Buzz Marketing says a social marketer should have the following skill sets:

1. Story telling: Be able to create compelling stories so your audience can tune in and get the message.

2. Packaging: Leverage a number of different platforms for your social media, including blogging, micro blogging, video, photos, etc.

3. Reach: Your audience is located in many different areas. Does your social media do enough to reach them?

4. Measure: You must always learn from your social media so that you can adjust your strategies and do it better tomorrow.

As a small business owner, you may not be considered an “expert” at social media. If you’re going to do your own social media for small business you’ll need to take all of these points into consideration but also go a . Remember first and foremost the cardinal rule of social media, and that is to create a community, not a sales platform. Engage with people so that they share in your community. It’s always important to make your social networking a two-way street. Another tip we’d like to add is to create incentives to get people involved with your social media (giveaways and contests are always a great idea here and can be tied in to your existing loyalty program).