Dear Readers,

I occasionally use this spot to talk about social media or to introduce you to bloggers or someone in your field who uses Twitter. However, I may not fully explain the reasons I try to keep you informed about social media. Did you know that more than 70 percent of companies have a social media marketing strategy? And according to a recent report from eMarketer, US advertisers will spend $1.68 billion on social networking sites this year - a more than 20 percent increase over 2009. That will increase to more than $2 billion by 2011. Organizations like yours and mine can’t ignore those numbers. So SAS and many others are swiftly incorporating social media into their DNA.

I know what you are thinking; “I’m not in marketing!”

That’s just what I mean. At SAS, we aren’t using social media just for marketing. In addition to opening channels for our users to interact with us (Twitter, blogs and discussion forums), we’re asking our SAS professionals to talk with and teach one another online in the same way they do offline at user group meetings and at work. With more than 11,000 SAS employees in more than 50 countries and 400 SAS offices, face-to-face conversations and training can be impractical. Internal blogs, wikis and microblogging platforms are great sources of learning and growth that are part of our professional development plan. These social media platforms offer opportunities to build online relationships that can flourish when we're offline.

Chances are, if your organization hasn’t started similar initiatives, it will soon. Whether you plan to stay at your current job for the duration of your career or you plan to change career paths in the future, it is a good idea to begin sharpening your social media skills to be the first in line for the promotion or job you want. You can get plenty of tips in the Nuts & Bolts section of Conversations and Connections.