Some time in 2005, I created my first Facebook account, albeit with some reluctance. I suppose I didn’t understand the concept, and, once I joined, the concept became even more elusive. I found myself wondering why I was spending time on Facebook, why people I don’t know were trying to “friend” me and, most frustratingly, what it meant when a girl responded with the following after asking for her phone number: “Why don’t you just find me on Facebook?” I only figured out what that meant once I was on the other end.

Today, however, I look at Facebook with wonder (and all social media, for that matter). It is, without a doubt, the most-impactful media revolution of the last decade. To put that in perspective, take a look at these numbers.

Years to Reach 50 million Users:

• Radio — 38 Years
• TV — 13 Years
• Internet — 4 Years
• iPod — 3 Years

Facebook, on the other hand, added 100 million users in less than nine months!

I don’t mean to suggest that social media will usurp Google’s rein on our lives, but it is plausible. More and more, I find myself using Twitter Search before Googling something.

It’s unfortunate that it took so long for me to finally realize the benefits of social media, from both personal and business perspectives. Those benefits weren’t really apparent until I read Erik Qualman’s book, “Socialnomics.” One point he makes is that social media and social networking actually make us more productive. After I thought about it, I realized how right he was. The advantage is efficiency, information in real time and the sharing of ideas. For example, I read multiple blogs every week to jumpstart my own creative process. Before having conversations with friends, I already know what’s going on in their lives and can skip right to the details. Sometimes, staying current with world events is more timely with Twitter, as was the case with the Iranian protests last year.

Now that I realize my time is not wasted with social media, I’ve decided to grab the bull by the horns. Instead of being a passive participant, my goals in 2010 are to put social media to work for me. Doing so requires that I set objectives and tailor profiles to meet their ends, update content so that it starts conversations within my network and is relevant to my purposes, build out my RSS feed for a broader range of topics, make better use of bookmaking tools in hopes of providing value for my community, culling the herd so that my community consists of “real” friends and also finding a way to include my parents as Facebook friends.

If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to read up on social media. The opportunity is moving quickly, and, in 2010, the pace will only quicken. I’ve included this video to help motivate you. Viewing it with the volume up really makes me appreciate my own profession as an Internet marketer.