There is always a flavor of the month.
A few years ago businesses were being encouraged to have a web site (don't want to miss out!) next it was blogging and right now it is social media - Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn being the most high profile examples.
There are so many that it can be confusing, not to mention a tremendously time consuming activity.
So, is it here to stay and is it applicable to business? Whether the individual applications will still be here, or indeed whether social media itself is just a fad, is arguably not really the point! Maybe some, or even all of them will eventually go away but whilst they are here they are worth considering.
There are thousands of "experts" on social media and many have great ideas as to how to use the tools.
From a marketing and business development perspective, social media is just a tool.
It is not going to solve all your marketing issues at a stroke, nor is it some sort of magic bullet that absolves you from doing the marketing groundwork.
Here are some thoughts aimed at helping you decide which, if any, social media tool might be right for your business.

1. Know your audience - It is never a good idea to start a marketing program without a clear and detailed idea of your target market.
   In other words who is your service designed to help? This is true for social media marketing too but it goes a little deeper.
   With whom do you want to connect? Prospects certainly, but also people with something to say in your market space, those that might refer you, pass your information to others, engage in dialog with you, argue with you, swap stories and so on.
   Gain as clear an idea of who those people are as you can
2. Make a commitment - it takes time.
   It is common to hear people seeking some sort of guarantee or promise on return on investment.
   That really can't be measured in a traditional sense.
   If you think your target audience (see above) is using these tools, commit to a significant period of time learning the systems and using them (see below).
   Probably this is at least 6 months.
   Committing will take you through the learning curve where you may be tempted to quit
3. Get involved - once you decide to use the tools, make sure you engage.
   This take a different form for every platform but take the time to learn what works, your style and what you enjoy and keep doing it
4. You don't have to do it all (or even any of it) - just because everyone is talking about it, doesn't mean you have to take part.
   That may sound contradictory, but once you know your target audience and what is required to engage in social media, you may find that it isn't a good investment for the business.
   That is a perfectly fine outcome - it probably isn't right for everyone at all times.
   

Social media may or may not be here to stay but it certainly is here now.
There is a lot of hype about it and the business applications are still foggy at times.
Keeping your overall marketing strategy in front of you will allow you to make the best decision for your business, which may be that it doesn't make sense you you right now.