Six Essential Social Media Tools For Business Success

1. Your Own Blog

RSS feeds are the proverbial backbone of the Social Web. You can only benefit from the exposure in the many RSS feed directories on the Web if you have your own RSS feed to publish on it. The easiest way to have your own RSS feed is to start a blog.

But merely starting a blog is far from enough. Your blog needs to be optimized and your blog post content must be kept fresh, engaging, and integrated into your other social media tools.

Free and nearly free blogs can be started using tools available through WordPress.com, Blogger, or Typepad. You can also install a blog on your existing site with tools at WordPress.org.

2. Get Your Facebook On

A Facebook presence can consist of both a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. They are different things and it is very important to know which is which.

Facebook profiles are for individuals, not a business. A business can create a profile for a key representative of the business, but not for the business itself.

Always take time to optimize your Facebook profile by completing it as thoroughly as possible with content that contains key terms that are relevant to the individual as a representative of your business. Be sure to import your blog and all your other social tools into your Facebook feed.

The Facebook page is for your business. A page can be created for a service or product business, a local business, or for an actor/artist/musician/writer, you name it.

Your Facebook page is like all first impressions: you want it to represent your business effectively. Below is a list of a few Facebook applications to add to your page that can help make your impression a great one:

• Social RSS is an app that imports RSS feeds or blog entries
• MyFlickr imports photos and images from your Flickr account
• YouTube Box helps you add your video clips to your Facebook page
• ShopTab is a great app for selling your products, but it has a modest monthly fee
• Static FBML gets HTML code onto your page
• Causes enables donation acceptance for your nonprofit business

3. Professionals Get a LinkedIn Account

While Facebook is for social networking, LinkedIn is designed as more of a professional networking site. It is, therefore, an essential tool for business – especially for those businesses that do B2B.

Since your LinkedIn profile may be the first impression someone gets of your business, you need to take time to optimize it. Fill in every profile section using your edited content and best key terms.

It is a good practice to add applications that enhance your profile. A must-have is the BlogLink application for importing your blog entries. Another good tactic is to join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your business.

4. The Twitter Account

Small but powerful, Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows short entries of only 140 characters. Limited though it may be, it is a social networking tool that lets users interact with posts in “real-time.” It is an incredibly effective way to spread the word about events, products, and services, but you want to use it in addition to your regular blog, not as a substitute for it.

Tools like TweetDeck or HootSuite help keep your “tweets” fresh and plentiful. These tools let you post-date your tweets so you do not have to be in constant tweet mode. You can add several at one sitting and let the app post them at designated times. HootSuite also has an option for importing your blog posts as tweets.

Managing all of the people you are following can be problematic, but use Twitter lists to help minimize that issue.

5. A Flickr Account

The Flickr media community makes uploading and sharing your photos and other images very easy. It is a highly underrated social media tool. It is surprising to people how you can get such great exposure and enhanced search engine placement when you use Flickr wisely.

Per usual, the secret to good placement is consistent use of key terms in names, tags, and descriptions. When you add images to Flickr, rename your uploaded files so they include a few key terms that are relevant to the image and to your business. Be sure to include those same key terms for your tags and the image description.

Again, don’t forget to integrate your Flickr account with all your other social tools and be sure to add them as galleries to your Website or blog.

6. A YouTube Account

The power of viral video is undeniable. If your business makes use of video in any fashion, you have to get those videos on YouTube. Even if you don’t have videos of a product or a meeting or as a training tool, you can create a playlist of videos already on YouTube and reap the benefits of their popularity. Commenting on other videos can also glean benefits for your business.

And whether you have your own videos or have created playlists, you definitely want to import them into your other social sites or use them to embed a video gallery onto your blog or Website.

As in Flickr and any other image tool, you need to use your best key terms in file names, tags, and descriptions of the clips you add to these media communities.

Here is a presentation to help you initiate a realistic social media strategy for your business:

http://www.slideshare.net/deltina/social-media-and-web-20-fundamentals-webinar

Regardless of the tools you implement, remember: The Social Web is about interaction. Join or start a conversation whenever you can, today being as good a time as any.

Here’s to your success in the Social Web! Ready? Let’s do it.

About the Author

Deltina Hay is a Web developer, publisher, and author. Her book, A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization, can be found anywhere books are sold. Find out more about her social media Website and integration service here: http://www.PlumbSocial.com.

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