There was a time, not even particularly long ago, when social networking services like Twitter and Facebook were used solely by individuals interested in connecting with friends and family. Although this still applies, these social sites have evolved into very influential, must-have marketing tools. Richard Vanderhurst shares valuable tips on how social media can be used to market your business.

Marketing companies specialized in social media are not always a good solution. A lot of these companies are fly-by-night operations out to fleece new Internet marketers who don’t know any better. They use thousands of fraudulent Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, made through automated registration bots and proxy servers. Because these services use abusive tactics, your message is generally not seen by too many real people, as the view counts are fake and the fraudulent accounts are generally terminated fairly quickly.

Put a share button near the header of your blog entries that allows users to put the information on Facebook. Your readers will be able to share your content with their friends easily. The number of people that have access to your blog greatly increases, and this translates into more visitors who may utilize your services or buy your products.

Add a special box to your blog to give visitors’ access to the Facebook “like” function. By clicking on this icon, they can give you a Facebook “like” vote. When you have this box on your blog, it makes it easy for your visitors to show their appreciation without being distracted from your page. This will give you greater exposure on Facebook which can lead to a greater amount of visitors to your site.

It is definitely time to look at social media differently. There is a lot more available than just games and pointless chatter. It’s a place where you can attract a brand new audience. This tips you just read have opened up the world of social media to you. Log into the social networking site of your choice and get started.