This document discusses how social media has changed how business is done and many professionals now want to learn how to get started with social media for their business. It introduces the Get the Social Edge Kickstart Program, a 16-week online course designed specifically for professional services practitioners to learn practical social media skills. The program creator, Des Walsh, is a certified social media strategist who has created this program to provide busy professionals access to social media information free of hype and jargon. Interested professionals are invited to contact Des Walsh via email for more information about the program.

2. Two years ago most of the lawyers, financial advisors and other professional services practitioners I met knew something
about social media but were very definite in telling me it would not “work” for their practice or business.

3. But that's changed.
It's a different conversation I'm having.
People get that social media has changed the way business is done, dramatically.
Many of them want to know how they can get started.

4. They just don't know what “getting started” means.
And from what they say to me, some of them clearly suspect they have “missed the boat”.

5. Or they worry that they don't have the knowledge or skills to manage the process
and have too much else on their plate to make time to learn.

6. If one or more of those lines up with your thinking, then I'm here to say to you:
Yes, it is time to get started –
knowing it's smarter to do that strategically than with some hit and miss tactics.

7. And no, it is not too late
– in a very real sense, the “socializing” of business is only just getting underway (but don't relax too much, things are moving
very fast right now)

8. But there is a problem.
The problem of generic, “one size fits all” social media courses.
And I understand that what works for selling hamburgers, travel or rock shows may not work for professional services practitioners.

9. My Get the Social Edge Kickstart Program is not just another generic, “one size fits all” social media course.
It's designed specifically for professional services practitioners.

10. It deals with real issues for professionals, such as how to protect your brand and professional reputation

11. So who am I and why should you take notice of me?

12. I'm Des Walsh. I'm a Certified Social Media Strategist, a Business Coach, author and international speaker on social media.
As well as writing in this subject area for my own blogs, I write for leading online sites including Social Media Today, LI (for LinkedIn) and
Business, Social Business One and MYOB's blog The Pulse.

13. I created the Get the Social Edge series of programs to provide busy professionals with access to practical social media information and
skills, free of hype and jargon.

14. What am I offering?
My Get the Social Edge Kickstart program includes a sixteen week, in-your-own-time home study program, with live online Q&A sessions and
other resources,

15. Update
Get the Social Edge Kickstart is being refreshed for a new launch in October 2012
For more information, please drop me an email at
deswalsh@gmail.com

16. All my social web links at
http://xeeme.com/deswalsh