Articles giving tips to small businesses on how to use social media are a dime a dozen. They all tell the same basic story. Engage your customers, don’t shout at them. Create engaging content, don’t be an RSS feed. Don’t talk too much, but don’t talk too little.

All of this requires one common element: someone who is actually in the game.

You engage people differently whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Digg, or your uncle’s blog. Talking too much on Twitter is different than talking too much on Facebook. How do you know, though?

You sign up. You get in. You use the service.

Take a break for a bit. Stop reading articles on what you should and shouldn’t do and actually get in. Get your employees to sign up as individuals to use the service. Have them follow people they like, fan organizations they enjoy, upload photos of their last vacation. Just have them get in.

Reading up on what other businesses are doing is great. Reading another “Top 10 Ways To Have Your Business Succeed In The World Of Social Media” article is fine. But if all you do is sit on the sideline and hem and haw about how your business should enter the social media playing field you’re going to miss the game.

Jump in.