You al know what social media is, right? It’s joining Facebook to see pictures of your best friend’s new baby. Or setting up an Instagram account so you can post those really awesome pictures of your trip, your cooking or your hometown. And Twitter? It’s for telling everyone what you’re doing today or what you just ate or who in the celebrity world is marry (or divorcing) whom. And then there’s Snapchat and Pinterest and LinkedIn and even (can we cue the crickets?), Google+.

But what about your business and social media? That’s the puzzle piece most managers or business owners haven’t figured out yet.

And the answer is…relationships

No, no, not those celebrity relationships. Or even yours. (Although the last bit can be a part of it sometimes.)

When it comes to businesses and social media, simply put, social media is about building relationships with customers, people who might become customers and people who know people who might become customers. It’s about saying “Hi, I’m a real person, talking with you because you’re a real person, too. And let me know if I can help you solve a problem or fill a need.” And then, building on that through on-going conversations, questions and answers. And sometimes, it is about letting them see the real you by sharing something like “Hey, I just got married!” or “It’s my birthday and I’m celebrating with a big family dinner.” (Remember the real people bit? Yup, this is part of it.)

Of course, the tone of the conversation depends on the kind of business you have, and who your customers are. But social media is there to remind us that even people in CPA firms have birthdays and babies, just like their clients. And that builds trust.