This dreary Friday brings back memories of a great Friday past, last Friday to be exact. We attended Social Media Breakfast at Deluxe Corp. and it was a blast. The sun was shining bright, and so were the smiles. It was fun to see Twitter avatars materialize in front of our eyes, chat with old friends, and also make a few new ones. The topic of last week’s gathering was how small businesses are using social media.

The panel was composed of small business owners who discussed which social media they use, and how they use them. A common trend they saw was that Facebook is a place to connect with their regular customers, while Twitter was a place to reach out to a broader group, and really personify their business.

The reoccurring question of how to tweet (as the company, or as the business owner) arose. None of the panelist said they tweet strictly business, and often infuse their own personality to create their own unique tone online. A good point was made; people like people, not organizations. Simple. Want to start a conversation? Speak like a real person, and let the tweets roll in.

It’ll be hard to top the huge outdoor tent at Deluxe, but we can’t wait for the next Social Media Breakfast!