In a recent post at Bazaarblog, Tara DeMarco reports on author Erik Qualman's concept of the "social media escalator." It's his design for the graceful entry of businesses into the social realm. According to Qualman, no one would walk up to a group of people at a party and say, "Excuse me ... Can we talk about why I'm great for the next five minutes?" But that's what far too many businesses are doing at social sites, he argues: They jump in and immediately begin selling.

Instead, Qualman suggests, businesses need to take these four steps to enter social media the right way:

Step 1: Listen. See what people are saying about your brand, your products and your industry before jumping in.

Step 2: Interact. Join the conversation in a way that adds value. "You have to contribute to conversations people are already having to gain an audience," DeMarco notes.

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