I’ve been having, and witnessing some really interesting conversations lately about social media. Particularly about how profound relationships can be in the social media arena.

Social media is defined collectively as internet based tools that allow you to interact and build relationships with other like-minded people. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Gaia - all fall into the social media category.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the buzz about social media - and you may have profiles on some of these sites. But what do these virtual social scenes mean in real life? And how do you get involved in these sites - especially if you’ve created a few profiles and still feel like someone standing outside peering in?

Well - that depends… on you.

Last week on the Girlfriendology blog, Debba posted a really great entry about how real online relationships - particularly friendships - are. I will second Debba’s opinion and tell you that I’ve been bouncing around the internet social scene since 1999, and I’ve made some really wonderful friendships.

Not to mention, social media is a huge part of my business - and it plays a huge role in the way I build my business and reach the people who resonate with me and who need what I offer.

Please understand though, social media is exactly what the name implies - social. For me, my marketing strategy is extremely social. So, if you’re not into creating relationships and you want a hands-off type of a business, social media probably isn’t for you.

In the almost 10 years that I have been networking and building relationships online, I can tell you, from experience, the people I meet out here are real. They have real businesses, real families, real friends, real challenges - they have a whole real, physical life and this internet thing is part of it.

Social media is powerful, and it’s virtual, and it’s just so freakin’ cool. But at it’s core are real people who are looking for connection.

Getting involved in social media is not something one should do haphazardly - or half-heartedly. Remember - it’s social, and it’s about connection.

Find a few places that you really, honestly want to be involved in - don’t just set up a profile because everyone else is doing it. Really spend time in these places and immerse yourself in the community. Get to know people, and be genuinely interested in them.

Build a network in these places - find interesting people to converse with, interesting groups to join, and  interesting conversations to participate in. Genuinely support the members of the community.

As for being good for business… well - that only comes when you follow the advice above