Trust and authenticity are the currency of social media. And your Facebook page alongside your Twitter account and blog are the places where you should lavishly spread that currency around.

I emphasized trust and authenticity in a recent post because people are now so oriented to interacting with dental companies, dental practices, and dental supply brands who seem at least somewhat familiar with social media. And once you’ve caught on to the value of social media engagement your perspective and marketing approaches shift.

• There’s a more frontal…give-it-to-me-straight marketing interaction (in contrast to the old-school, bait and switch).

• There’s freedom to be yourself without the flash (in contrast to slick, hype-y…expensive marketing – think jeans and maybe a sports coat instead of suit and tie).

• There’s conversation around products, services, and expertise (in contrast to if-we-build-it-they-will-come).

I think of the days of mom & pop shops. Social media is restoring confidence to business and service providers who have that grass-roots brand of marketing DNA.

Coaching a grass-roots confidence is the responsibility all who are coming into their own with social media marketing.

I once felt like a rookie in the big-leagues when I first opened my Twitter account. I resisted for months as early as 2008.

But I’m there…in fact I have two Twitter accounts. One is personal/general copywriting/marketing consultant related. The other is specific to all that within the dental industry.

I’ve had my social media ups and downs. Some days I feel like a shivering chihuahua alongside the social media big dogs.

And sometimes I write and publish on my blog like I think a big-dog would. In fact, I’m still nursing a fresh wound because I forgot what this whole social media deal looks like to someone who doesn’t engage in it (not because they’re opposed…it just isn’t something they’re into…like many marketers, still).

I’m reminded that when I speak and write about the failures of traditional marketing with my new social-media-is-all-about-trust-and-authenticity-chip-on-my-shoulder, I risk alienating those I’m still invested in.

So…here’s how to boost your social media confidence when wanna-be big-dogs (like me) mess on the lawn (or seem to be growling at those who aren’t so much into social media):

1) It’s about being yourself.

You and your business, product, service have a story to tell. Engage (that’s “talk” in social media) about the problems you’re solving, the solutions you’re delivering, the benefits you’re bringing to the marketplace. No one else can be you better than…well, you!And once you stop being “you” – it really doesn’t matter!

2) It’s about keeping it simple.

Really, what’s the point in being complicated. Life’s complicated enough and so is business.

To-the-point simplicity is a big adjustment for those new to social media. The full-frontalness of the dialogue (on a blog or via Twitter and a Facebook page) can be misunderstood as edgy or in some instances, even trite.

Hey, when Twitter allows you only 140 characters you can’t dilly-dally (a word I’d probably not use in mainstream marketing). That’s a steep learning curve for those accustomed to traditional marketing approaches.

3) It’s about creating conversation.

Once you’re around social media long enough you’ll learn that appetizing conversations begun on your Twitter or Facebook page feed should effectively transition to your website or blog via links (ow.ly, bit.ly, etc.).

Think of social media conversations (even those involving your business, products, services) like you would saying to dinner guests following a meal, “Let’s move to the patio…can I get you another drink…” There’s no hype among friends – just swapping stories in good conversation.

…and now where’s the dip for that chip-on-my-shoulder I mentioned?