When most people think of social media, they immediately think of Facebook fan pages, or they may have even heard a little about Twitter. However, it's really so much more than that. It's actually a bunch of free websites that help people share and discuss information, as well as connect with others.

This is important to you as a Orlando business owner because while business may be about finances and the bottom line, in the end, it's really all about the customer. It's about pleasing customers, acquiring new ones and connecting with them.

Social media marketing is the easiest, most-effective and affordable way to reach thousands of people in the Central Florida market. However, you have to make sure you use it correctly.

You see, the biggest problem most people have is that they try too hard to use social media as a sales tool, when in fact it's an avenue for educating prospects about your business.

The problem is, no one goes online to see an advertisement. When people go online, they're looking to find information; no one wants to be sold anything. As soon as people see an ad online, they click somewhere else.

People buy from people and businesses they know, like and trust. You have to develop a relationship with people online, and let them become familiar with you and your business. When all a business does is sell, sell, sell, it turns people off.

The right way to use social media is as an avenue to teach people about your business or industry by helping them, answering their questions and giving them the information they're looking for. But remember, don't sell - teach. Trust me, people know the difference between the two.

By doing this, you position yourself as an expert; you're no longer seen as a salesperson, but a trusted advisor.

Here's an example:

Let's say you sell barbecue grills. How do you sell them without making it sound like an ad? You don't sell the features, you don't sell the benefits and you certainly don't compete on price. Never compete on price online, because someone, somewhere always has a similar product cheaper.

Most people selling grills will discuss things like brand, fuel type, features and size of the cooking area. The fact is, most people buying a grill really want only one thing -- to cook stuff for a barbecue!

What you do in this case is teach people how to cook stuff. You can put out an article about "10 Great-Tasting Recipes for Your Next BBQ", or do a quick video on "How to Choose the Best Cuts of BBQ Meat" or "How to Make Your Own BBQ Sauce".

See where I'm coming from?

Educate people, help them, share with them what you know and let them get to know you a bit. Eventually, guess what they're going to need at some point?

That's right -- a grill! Guess where they're going to buy it? From you, because you're the expert and they trust you.