The good news about social media is that it doesn’t cost anything to have a company Facebook page, or a LinkedIn or YouTube or Twitter account. Free blogging software is also readily available.

The bad news is that social media requires time and effort. And it’s not like you can take people off of other marketing projects and put them on social media projects. Social media is never an “instead of” other marketing; it’s always “in addition to” other marketing efforts. So where do you find the resources?

One place to look is among current employees who are already social media users and enthusiasts. They have a head start on using social media technologies and might be able to spearhead social media efforts on behalf of your company.

Another route to take is to focus on just one or two social media outlets and getting that right, rather than trying to conquer the entire social media world. Perhaps your account managers can use LinkedIn to network. Or if your company engages in community activities, Facebook might be a good way to develop a fan network. Do you have a good writer with expertise and strong opinions? Start a blog.

The point is to carve out what resources you can and start getting acquainted with social media—but not at the expense of your other proven marketing efforts.