If you’re feeling torn about where to turn for the biggest bang for your social media buck, seek solace in this list. Granted, 11 places to focus still sounds like a lot, but in the grand scheme of social media things (i.e., with hundreds of sites vying for our attention), this is a short list indeed!
1) Facebook. Need I say more?
2) Twitter. I’m continually surprised at how reluctant my friends and colleagues are about getting on Twitter. Though I personally don’t spend as much time there sharing and engaging as I should, Twitter is a goldmine for building networks with people from all over the world who you would otherwise never be able to meet and ultimately build relationships of mutual support. It’s not about tweeting meaningless mundane things. In fact, I find Twitter users to be far more likely to share and engage about newsworthy stories than their Facebook counterparts. And if you are a public figure, or have a product you’d like to see hit the mainstream, securing your Twitter name is imperative before someone else does!
3) YouTube. This is the number two search engine in the world, second only to Google. So if you don’t think your business is conducive to video-worthy content, think again! Know the keywords relevant to your product or service and get creative with it.
4) Google+. When I talk to people about this one, they moan and they groan. “Really, another social media site I need to update on a regular basis?” Uh, yeah! This is GOOGLE‘s social media site, so it’s no shocker that Google favors it in the search engine results. It really is easy to use, quick to update and well-worth the time and effort.
5) Tumblr. Of all the micro-blogging platforms, this is the big one and is poised to grow even bigger. It’s easy and fun to use, not only as a blogger but as a re-blogger (i.e., post interesting content and re-blog others, and chances are good they’ll re-blog you).
