Can trainers justify the use of social media like Twitter and Facebook during their daily work lives? Yes! While these tools have shown themselves to be huge in the world of sales by creating so many additional ways to touch clients, trainers have also found constructive uses for these avenues.

Four of the top values I see in social networking in training are:

·         Their use can bridge the knowledge and time gap between formal trainings.

·         These tools offer a great system for providing tech support for new technologies roll-outs.

·         Some of these tools are flexible enough to be used for things like role-playing and providing practice on a task.

·         Social networking allows participants to corroborate with one another on projects and learnings.

If you are thinking of delving into the world of social networking for training, here are some tips I recommend:

1.       If you're going to do social media, commit to it. Before choosing one or two types of social networking to get involved in, be an observer and see if that culture is right for your purposes.

2.       Be okay with trial and error.

3.       Build a complete profile, such as on Twitter or Facebook, that is up-to-date and interesting. Your profile is one way for learners to connect with you and helps put a face and personality to the name. Many spammers don't do this, and you don't want to be confused with them!

4.       Establish your routine. If you're going to blog, post your newest entry on the same day each week. People will start looking for it; no routine and your readers may drop off.

5.       Don't spread yourself too thin. You don't need to try everything at once and end up with Space Face, You Twit.

6.       Be selective in who you connect with on sites like LinkedIn. It's good to keep work and personal boundaries separate, and it's still true in business realms that you are known for the company you keep. Be okay with "ignoring" requests from people.

7.       Act professionally; this goes for especially your corporate account, but also for your personal account. You may think a lot of that information is hidden behind passwords and firewalls-and you'd be wrong. If you don't want that latest picture of you in a bikini going viral, don't post it.

Yes, there are flipsides to the digital realm such as security concerns and more; like fire, you could get burned, but there is a very good side to social networking and media.