I’m a social media convert, I admit it.

When Twitter and Facebook originally came out, I thought – “Huh? What’s the point?”

To my relief, I once heard well-known blogger Guy Kawasaki say the same thing. In a conference where he spoke, he said his first impression of Twitter was that it was the silliest little thing ever to come about. Now that he has 272,460 followers, he’s obviously changed his tune.

Which brings me to my next point. If you really want to learn how to excel at using social media for profit and publicity, watch these experts:

• Guy Kawasaki @GuyKawasaki
• Mari Smith @MariSmith
• Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner @smexaminer
• Chris Garrett @chrisgarrett

Watching these experts can teach you key strategies for building a following, attracting organic traffic to your site, and cultivating a name for your business presence.

I’m sure there are other experts worth following — any suggestions?

While on the phone with a good friend today, I got asked a question I know well:

“So Mindy, what exactly is it that you do?”

Writing copy isn’t exactly on the top ten list of professions we all know well. It’s not something any elementary age kid aspires for (they’re busy dreaming about becoming nurses, firemen, or astronauts).

But copy does make the world go round. It fuels business interests, connects consumers to things they need and want, and informs.

My answer to my friend was, “Persuasive writing. Just think of me as a persuasive writer. I write the words that make people want things, along with the words that help people decide what they want and why they want it.”

That was enough to satisfy him.

I didn’t get into the “copy is king” theory, but it’s essentially the same thing. Copy is king because it fuels our needs, propels our desires, and prompts us to take action. That’s some powerful stuff.

How do you describe copywriting to your friends?