I'm a big fan of John's blog and the Angry Mac Bastards podcast so, while I may be something of a Bynkii fanboy, I really think his latest post does a great job of explaining how and when to use social media:

  1. Social Media is just people talking to people
  2. Don't do anything with Social Media unless you know what and why you're doing it
  3. If you're going to say something, have something real to say
  4. Using Social Media is not magic, it's still real work
  5. You cannot prevent people from hating you, stop trying to prevent it as a thing Looks simple? It is. Don't overthink this shit, don't give it too much precedence, and don't be afraid to be the last guy on the bus. Do things in a way that works for you, not because someone said you should.

[From: Web 2.0/Social Media: Really guys, it's pretty simple by John C. Welch]

I don't think it gets any easier than that. It's a long post but go, read it. You'll be glad you did. Unless you don't like swearing, in which case, why the fuck are you reading my blog?