It doesn’t matter what you are using – Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, Digg, Bloglog, Stumble (and the list goes on and on).
I am going to teach you some basic rules that will boost your online exposure – but first I feel the need to remind you of a really big no-no’s, that will stop you from successfully using social media sites.
So what is the biggest mistake of all?
The biggest mistake anyone can make is being 
superficial, only caring about the bottom line. If you are only out for yourself, you will find you will not make many truly great connections, and you will not get many followers.
It is blatantly obvious when people are selfish, and it is a big turn off.
That does not mean, you don’t post links and have a call for action once in a while. It does mean you need to connect by giving away great information and links. Genuinely engaging in conversations with others – and basically participating in giving and sharing. It is the key to attracting followers and maintaining them.
The saying – Give and yea shall receive, is alive and well – and most definitely TRUE.
8 Guidelines for Social Media Success
BLOGGING Did you know that most blogs can be fed (through an RSS feed) to the social media sites?
Example: Whenever I post to my blog it automatically goes to my Facebook page and twitter. This keeps my Facebook and twitter page active as well as establishing my expertise.
One of the fastest ways to raise your online profile is to start blogging. It helps if the subject matter is something related to your expertise and/or business. Becoming an active participant in online forums helps as well. If you have a service that is in demand, post pictures and advice – in fact a great way to get exposure is go to ask.com and be an active contributor.
DON’T BE BORING BETTY OR BOB… Boring people do not get a lot of followers. "Don't just ramble on and on about yourself all day long”. Read what other people are posting and respond to them. Ask questions, answer questions. Truly interacting with people will help build your followers.
QUALITY INFORMATION Building trust takes time and work. You can increase you followers by good content, and consistency. It will take a bit of time but it will be worth every minute.
Posting great articles, giving links of websites you find of interest and following back is important. Promoting others will make an impact, and networking is the name of the game.
BECOME PART OF THE ACTIVE COMMUNITY "Post and tweet frequently "This will increase your relevancy and authoritativeness which in turn will boost your following." I personally take about an hour or two out of my day to research. I find relevant links I can post or ideas to write articles about. I try to tweet every day, at the minimum to build your exposure you should post 2 to 3 times a week.
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING No matter what perspective you are coming from, if you're branded a "complainer" then that can be a turn-off. Projecting positive emotions and feed back is the way to attract others. Being in it for all the right reasons is one way of building your online credibility.
SPEAK UP A great way to attract followers is to start discussion(s) that will intrigue and engage people, causing them to interact with you. Giving a hint or a tip is also an excellent idea and will create a following of people who like the information you are disclosing.
MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO FIND YOU
Do you know what your potential client is interested in? When you know your customer (like you should) you will know what they enjoy, where they go for information and recreation. This knowledge is invaluable – it will give you a powerful tool. Keywords... Using the right keywords and phrases in your posts and tweets will help people who are interested in what you have to offer find you through use of the search tools.
Make it easy for people who are interested in you!
MAKE A PERSONAL CONNECTIONPeople tend to follow those they can relate to. Social media users trust people they can identify with personally. Often, it's as simple as posting a picture and a brief biography on your profile.
People are more likely to read what you have to say when they feel they know you. Furthermore, posting a picture of yourself can actually make people feel they can trust you more.
If you are following these 8 guidelines you are on the right track! Succeeding in the internet world is not for the timid.
One more thing…You are always hearing about the size of the list but what about the quality? I personally prefer a smaller list that has people I can converse with (quality) than a giant list of followers that are non-responsive.
With these basic rules in hand you can now successfully start building your followers – and remember to enjoy what you are doing, smile and relax – my motto?
Follow Your Passion and Everything Else Will Fall Into Place!
Pamela Jacob - Artista Design Providing Practicle Solutions & Valuable Results
