Social media is an amazing tool, but it's really the face-to-face interaction that makes a long-term impact.

Presidential campaign observer Teddy White on the second Kennedy-Nixon debate in which the candidates spoke from separate television studios: "It was as if, separated by comments from his adversary, Richard Nixon was more at ease and could speak directly to the nation that lay between them.

Social media allows me to pick my times for social interaction.

Nixon wanted view and advice brought to him through intermediaries. He wanted information filtered as it came to him – and he wanted his filters to filter his will back to those whom he must direct.

One of the greatest challenges companies face in adjusting to the impact of social media, is knowing where to start.

Social media is simply a tool that facilitates actions.