Do you ever think, ‘Why do I even bother with social media?’

Well, erase that thought right now because social media is the ultimate way to market your business…for free.

It can quickly propel you and your business to new heights, grab the attention of infinitely more people interested in your product or service (whether local or global) increase website visits and boost sales.

No, this isn’t puffy, hot air. It’s been true for me, my clients, and thousands of others I’ve connected with across the web.

It’s how you use it that makes all the difference.

Here are seven ways to build a strong presence on social media and boost business.

1. Move in the right circles

It’s not enough to share posts or comments and hope it’ll be seen by your ideal connections. You need to be proactive.

And that means embracing your inner super sleuth.

Take action! Brainstorm a list of 20 dream clients, perfect partners, mentors, clever competitors, key players in your market and media contacts.

If you’re not sure who these 20 are, use Auntie Google (she knows everything) to find them. Then, to find them on social media just type their name and ‘on Twitter’ or ‘on Facebook’ (or another network) in the search box and pow – you’ve struck gold!

Once you’ve found them, connect with them (see #4 – 7). Be mindful of who they’re connecting with, too. This is a terrific way to extend your community of active, like-minded people. Just don’t fall into the “hide and seek” trap…

2. Skip the hide + seek

You’ve set up a Twitter account and Facebook Page, posted several tweets, and gotten comfortable in your surroundings. You’ve even found some valuable connections and know their every move.

But how well do they know you?

Getting social media marketing right means showing up and being seen. Lurking behind your computer or smartphone might be totally absorbing but who is it serving? Is it helping you move forward in your business? Is it helping people find you on Twitter?

Nope!

If your default setting is to sit back and watch, make a point of staying visible, sending updates that are helpful and entertaining (more on that later), and getting involved in conversations.

And, don’t worry, social media doesn’t have to be a massive time suck, especially if you play hooky.

3. Play hooky

Since millions of updates are sent on social networks everyday, your amazingly useful post can be easily missed by those who need to see it.

To make an impact, (especially when starting out) you want to post multiple times a day, throughout the day, several days a week.

Now, that doesn’t mean you should be there ALL day. With your schedule, juggling a busy home and business? That’s crazy talk. But you can master social media in just a few minutes each day by using a scheduling tool that drip feeds your posts automatically while you get on with your life.

Two of my favourites are Buffer and Hootsuite. I seriously believe that it’s impossible to successfully manage your social media marketing without these tools.

Playing  ‘hooky’ has many advantages but only when you support it with real-time interaction. Let me explain what I mean…

4. Go freestyle

Social media is all about making real connections with real people. And it’s these chit-chatty, real conversations that will spark relationships with other likeminded people.

And this is a key ingredient to achieving success. If you’re not fully present and taking part in the small talk for a few minutes each day, social media simply will not work for you.

So, I suggest you combine these two elements:

Go freestyle by making conversation in real time
+
Play hooky by scheduling some messages for a steady presence
=
The secret to social media success.

Sometimes this means pulling up your Pippy longstockings so remember…

5. Don’t be shy, say ‘Hi!’

Do you need an invitation to speak to someone at an in-person event? Of course you don’t. And the same applies on social media.

It’s perfectly acceptable to reach out with anyone and make new connections. This relaxed atmosphere creates a buzzing breeding ground for creating and nurturing new relationships. Ideal for expanding your network and community, even with people you previously thought may be out of reach.

As long as you provide value. Hmmm…what does that mean?

6. Provide value

When you hear people talking about ‘providing value’ on social media, this is what they mean: be entertaining, educational, interested and interesting.

When you combine two of these, you hit the sweet spot.

So every time you post, check your deepest intent and ask yourself:

• Is this entertaining?
• Will this educate my followers?
• Am I showing interest in others?
• Will my community find this interesting?

(Hint: just because YOU do doesn’t mean they will, so try to step into their shoes).

A little warning here: try to keep ‘on message’ and post content that your followers expect to see from you. But, social media is a unique way of marketing and there are brilliant opportunities to reveal more about your values, ideals and interests. Always remember the human element by going freestyle.

And, your manners. Which brings me to my last point…

7. Remember your please and thank you’s

We all want to do business with people we like, know and trust, and social media is the perfect place to nurture those valuable business connections by showing how helpful, friendly and generous you are.

You can do this by:

• Replying to comments made by others about your posts
• Thanking others when they do something nice for you
• Recommending others you respect and value
• Showing your appreciation and gratitude for posts from others
• Taking part – joining conversations even if they’re not directed at you
• Sharing entertaining and educational information in the form of links, images, tips, quotes and videos
• Connecting your followers with those who can help each other

Now it’s your turn

Which of these seven tips will you use to improve your social media presence? Let me know in the comments.