Using Social Media to Promote Your Business and Blogs

A strong social media presence will do wonders for your business. By posting engaging articles in the right places, you will keep your brand in mind for current customers and also attract new ones.

Haven't jumped on the social media band yet? It is high time to join the party. Some tips to help you get started:

Choose the right channels

First, think about the social media channels that are right for you. Buffer, a cross-platform sharing application, offers a practical guide to choosing the right channels for your business.

Register for all possible accounts via NameChk, using your company name as a handle. There are many networks but don't panic - for most small businesses, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+ are the key networks.

Facebook and Twitter are useful for all businesses as a means of engaging with customers. Visual aids like Instagram, Pinterest, Vimeo and YouTube work well for lifestyle products or services. LinkedIn helps you build an individual reputation as an industry expert, and Google+ can increase page rankings: Business News Daily offers other tips for using this often overlooked option.

Create content

Engaging content is essential. Think of it as a conversation with your customers. And just like there are things you wouldn't say to your customers, there are things you shouldn't say to your subscribers. Do not write anything that could be considered offensive, even as a joke.

Offering discounts and sharing new product versions are great promotional tools, but don't overdo it. Try to follow the rule that "only one in seven" of your messages openly promotes your business.

Make it easy to find people - keep your social media profiles up to date and add a share button to your website.

Social media management

You should monitor your feed and publish frequently. Make your life easier with a free app like Tweetdeck or a service like Hootsuite that lets you monitor multiple accounts, schedule posts, and search for hashtags for relevant conversations.

Manage negative social networks

Social media is an extension of your customer service and speed is the key. Respond to good and bad comments and try not to get defensive - you don't want a rushed response to go viral. Social media is a great way to fix something in real-time or turn a disgruntled customer into a happy camper. We love Forbes' best advice for handling the haters.