You want to start planning your social media program but you are not sure where to start. Here is information to help with the most popular social media sites. Remember that social media is about being where your target market is, and that means using the tool that they rely on most.

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site that allows users to fill in a profile with information like birthday, location, work and education, personal information, and interests. It is used by over 750 million individuals worldwide. You can also create a Facebook page for your business, which - unlike a personal profile - is publically viewable and can be found in an online search. Many companies today find that their Facebook business page sees a better organic search result than their website; so they use their page to drive traffic to their website or they build a Facebook page designed to do business as well.

LinkedIn

You will want to invest time in LinkedIn if you are business-to-business. It is a great tool for business connections. Headhunters and business professionals fill their profile with job experience, just like a resume, and then connect with others in their industries. Plus, they can get introduced to contacts they would like to do business with by finding a common connection. In addition, you can join groups and start a dialog with individuals, helping establish you as knowledgeable on relevant topics.

Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging site that allows you to broadcast information to people who choose to follow you. However, your "tweets" are limited to 140 characters. That does not mean you need to limit your entire message to 140 characters, just the hook (lead in). You can add a link to your website or blog for followers to read the rest of the article or promotion. It is a great way to drive traffic to your website and to show your followers that you are in the know about industry topics. You don't even have to write your own tweets, you can re-tweet an article to pass along information that would matter to your followers.

YouTube

YouTube is one of the largest search engines and growing at a fast pace. It allows you to set up a channel for your own videos or even others' videos you find relevant or enjoy. They can be industry-specific videos, videos of your customers' testimonials, videos of your company at industry events, or "how-to" videos that show how to troubleshoot your products. When you put answers to common questions online, you can save money and time in customer service.

All of these social media sites also provide statistics of who is interested in your company and what information they are looking at on your sites. It is a goldmine of information if you know how to access it, allowing you to learn about your target market, and any other interests your clients have.

For more information, feel free to visit our blog or our website, or email specific questions to me at liz@adteamla.com. Also to help you get started, check out our Social Media tools to get the most out of sharing with your customers.