The current social media conversation on Influence is something I really shy away from commenting on. And for good reason. I only joined Twitter and Facebook to do two things: promote my blog and meet great people. I believe I’ve done a fair job in that department.

But the other day, Todd Weiss, a great tweeter from New York City posted this on his feed: “If you want to be a person of influence, be of value to someone.” Indeed, this completely sums up my thoughts on the matter. As we all know, social media started as an avenue for people to share. So it makes sense to use Twitter in this way. I love seeing people recommend folks in different fields or in various cities. When I log in, that’s what I do. And when I log out, I take pride in knowing that I’ve helped enrich the Twitter Experience, and in a small or grand way, honored the roots of social media.

So let no one tell you differently: when any of us inspire, empower, share, connect and educate through social media, we are influential. Millions value this sort of engagement, so its a brand that should never be discarded. Never.

I don’t mind talking about Influence. But I’ll never let conversation about “what it is” get in the way of sharing practical ways to use social media influence for the greater good. That should be the ultimate goal.