Can you build a business with social media? This is a question that's been occupying my mind over recent weeks. When any new business launches it needs to get some sort of customer base quickly or it risk atrophying before it really gets started. Statistics in Australia suggest that at least a third of small businesses fail in their first year of operation.

The question is particularly relevant to me as I launch a new online publication (Netbook Mojo) and I begin the task of attracting readers and advertisers (in that order!). There are some people out there who boast that it's possible to create a profitable business on the back of social media tools. However, I'd argue that a social media strategy (and there are more than a few people out there promoting themselves as Social Media Strategists) is just one part of an effective marketing strategy.

Over the coming weeks I'll be using whatever tools and energy I have at my disposal to make Netbook Mojo a success. I'll report back on what works for me, what didn't work and what I've learned about the tangled web of social media marketing.