Deep down, I wish it were true too. I wish that simply joining up with a social media site, like twitter or facebook, would result in a new direct sales market. But it doesn't. The truth, as you can read in this insightful article clip, is that social media results in relationships. The good news is that building followers may result in a "sales army" that spreads the word about your ideas and products/services. The bad news is that they aren't necessarily your customers.

I would suggest anyone trying to get into social media to increase their business, first read "Whuffie" by Tara Hunt. If you consider "whuffie" to be a form of social capital, replacing the concept of money, then you can be reach. You have to be able to think in terms of "bartering" vs. direct sales.

What are your thoughts on this and how have you been able to increase business with social media? Let us know.