Show and tell. A great way to start making your case in-house is with a good old-fashioned Show and Tell. "For those of us who enjoy doing this stuff daily, it's easy to forget it can be confusing and daunting when you're getting started," Dave notes. "The first step in convincing your boss that social media is valuable for your company is to make it real for him or her."

Walk the walk. That means walking your boss and your team through the experience. Dave suggests you use yourself as an example. "Sit down with your boss and any other doubters in your organization and give them a focused, practical introduction on how you use social media," he advises. "Break the monolithic concept of 'social media' down into manageable chunks, and show them it's possible to participate without becoming overwhelmed."

Don't talk the talk too much. "Keep in mind that some of these social-media terms can sound pretty silly to older, more traditional people in your company," he cautions. "Don't baffle them with buzzwords—or worse, leave them laughing dismissively."

Make it real. Get down to specifics, based on your own social-media participation. "Show them the blogs you follow and what useful business information you glean from them. Show them how you use your RSS reader to cut through the noise and present what you most need in an easily digestible way," he says.

Don't forget the tweets. "Show them how you use Twitter (or better yet, tools like Tweetdeck) to mine valuable and timely information." And go to bat for it: "Dispel the misconception that people are doing nothing but talking about lunch on Twitter, and show your team the useful links, market information, and competitive intelligence you get there that's targeted to your business," he advises.

Crow a Little. "Have you had an interaction that led to a quantifiable business success?" Thomas asks. If so, he suggests you do a really cool thing to show it off: Capture it in a screen shot so they can see it right away. "This person asked a question, I answered it, it led to a sale (or positive mention of our company or valuable connection)." High five!

Remind them of what they're missing. Finally, if they're still doubting the value of social networks, "show them how many people are sharing information on LinkedIn and Facebook that directly relates to your company," Dave advises.

Then add the kicker. "Every day, your customers and potential customers are posting information about their wants and needs, their plans and concerns, and what's keeping them up at night," Thomas says. "This is the kind of information you used to pay to get from market researchers and focus groups, and now it's freely and publicly offered, if you just take the time to look for it," he concludes.