Whether you like it or not, you already have a digital footprint that you can’t fully control. People are talking about you; dissecting you; and making decisions about you every day of the week. You don’t even have to be online to have a digital footprint – people and businesses that don’t have an active web presence are being talked about. By their customers; their clients; their past and futures. So if all this talk is going on and you’re late…

If you’re wondering what you want from social media, you could always think of how you like your eggs boiled. There are two trains of thought when it comes to boiling an egg – soft or hard boiled. This pretty much equates to delving into social media – gently or full-on. So, how do you boil your eggs?

For all its plus points, social media is still a vastly misunderstood medium, particularly by businesses. The story of Bob is a prime example (not real name). As Chris Brogan points out in his blog post, Bob is all too typical of companies today that don’t understand social media. Even though Bob was showing his employers in a good light, they weren’t happy. So why is this? Why do so many businesses just not get it? And can their mindset be changed?

Look around you on the bus, in the workplace, at the pub. There’s a good chance the conversation pieces you pick up will include the words Twitter, blog, Facebook and other social media and networking terms. Proof that more people are getting into what social media has to offer. Yet this is just a small percentage of how many people could be talking about it, and using it. Could this be down to the fact that there are just too many choices to make when it comes to social media platforms? Should we be looking at making things easier for anyone that wants to enjoy all that social media has to offer?

As a social media tool, Stumbleupon is up there with the best of them. With the potential to increase web traffic by several hundred per cent as well as offer a passive traffic stream for years to come, it’s a free and hugely effective marketing tool as well. So why do so many people still not use it? Is it because it’s misunderstood? Perhaps all that’s needed are some simple ideas on how to get the best from it.