I was obsessed with social media. Agog at the potency of social networking.

But you know why this sort of shiny new adulation attitude isn’t just dangerous, but potentially sterilising business strategies everywhere?

It’s because this is nothing new.

Social media, social networking, it’s simply the application of smart and existing business thinking to a wider audience.

Stressing about your social media strategies is a bit like staring right into the eyes of Medusa. You forget what the core imperatives are of your business and the very essence of your success, the cornerstone of your objectives and vision, turns to stone.

If you’ve had a tough day, struggled to see the wood for the trees, then be happy you’ve learned this:

Social media expert = cast-iron bullshit.

Social media is customer service done right. Social media is about spreading the word of your service. Whether it’s you, through soft marketing, or your customers, evangelising on your behalf, it’s simply communication wrapped up in technology.

Before the internet we engaged in social media and social networking. The world may be abuzz with promise of what social media can do for your business, but the reality is that media and networking are just methods of building relationships.

Since social media is intrinsically linked to the basics of business development, a purported social media expert is either:

• Snake oil
• A successful business owner, respected for pursuing an ethical, objectified approach to satisfying their customer. And deluded.

You can’t be an expert at something that’s only just been invented. Fact. Ask Malcolm Gladwell.

If you’re intent on recruiting a social media expert, you have to make sure they have been a prolific achiever on the business scene outside of social media.

We can all build relationships. Business is all about doing just that. Social media simply amplifies your integrity and makes you respected more widely for  what you have achieved in pursuit of customer service excellence.

If you want to be the best in social media and networking circles, excel every time you interact with a customer. Learn from them your strengths, delight in their feedback – especially the negative stuff, which really fuels your future growth by showing you where your defects are and what needs rectifying.

Get a Twitter presence, definitely (so long as you commit to being there when your clients need you). Go down the Facebook Page route, for sure (but again, only if you’re prepared to provide regular updates and be there to listen and respond to queries). Get yourself on Gowalla, start kicking some serious networking tyres.

But slice and dice it and these tools just make you bigger on the scene. If you’re all goodness and light, it’s power to your elbow and a bonanza in your bank. If not, you probably already know how social media and networking is starting to eat you alive by making it easier for folks en masse to crush you.

Get your house in order and get people talking about you. Then – and only then – will you figure out why you’ve been obsessing all things socmed, all this time.