Here is our list of tips on how to get started with Social Media marketing of your business:

1. Register with Google Analytics. Setup Analytics to track conversions (events like an online form being completed, newsletter subscription) rather than just clicks. Clicks don’t mean new business.

2. Create a blog. Ideally it should be a part of your website however if you have never used blogging – try posterous.com. You can set it up to post your content on all social media platforms at the same time.

3. You need to regularly create new relevant content – new blog posts. Each blog posts should be optimised with keywords relevant to your business. Links to blog posts can be posted on Twitter.

4. Whichever blogging service you are using – all social media sites can be set up in a way that you only have to post your content once.

5. Ways to link Twitter with Facebook:

   • Business page can be linked to Twitter

   • Business page can have an RSS feed application installed (SocialRSS) as a separate tab

   • Business page can use a feed directly from you blog

   Ways to link Twitter with LinkedIn:

   • LinkedIn can now be connected to your Twitter account

   • WordPress or TypePad blog can be integrated using a special LinekdIn application which you can add to your profile

6. Create a single contact list using your Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail contacts and add it to a Gmail contacts account (if you haven’t got a Gmail account you need to create one). Gmail service is the easiest one to integrate and is usually can be automatically synchronised with all social media sites.

7. Synchronise your contact list with all social media sites, check who’s already got a profile there and connect with those. Be careful about inviting the rest of your list to join the network as not everyone will be happy to receive such an invitation.

8. Add as much information as possible (but only the information you are happy to share with anyone on the Internet, don’t assume that because you’ve set something as Friends Only it can never become available on the wider Internet). The more information you have however, the easier it will be for new contacts to decide whether you are relevant to them and, therefore, whether they should connect with you.

9. Set out time each day to update your social media profiles – if you are using Twitter then tweet regularly and engage with your followers.

10. Find new followers by reviewing lists of friends/followers of your existing connections – you can often find people you already know and ask them to connect with you.

11. Remember that social media is not about selling. Posting the same link to your e-commerce site (as the best shop for X out there) will not engage or interest anyone.

12. Use tools to help you manage your profiles, friends and content – check this Mashable list for 18 top applications.

13. Install Ubertwitter and Facebook Mobile on your phone to use the services wherever you are. Before you know it – it will become your second nature to check tweets and post new content throughout the day.

14. Keep it relevant to your followers and your business. You need to have some social chit-chat during the day, however just chit-chat will not bring you any business in the long term.

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