Social Media goes beyond Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.  This information I do know and in order to make these four resources effective for your business you do need to following these simple rules:

• Configure your URL’s so they are consistent for your brand.  For example my Facebook fan page is fb.com/MyOfficeAssistant and my LinkedIn account is linkedin.com/in/MyOfficeAssistant.  Many of my other accounts are the same with the exception of Twitter which is twitter.com/MOALee.  At the time I signed up I was just beginning and thought using an abbreviation of my company name was a great idea.  I am now rethinking this one.
• Add your company link to your profile. When you add the link to your site, be sure to specify the anchor text if possible.  For example on my LinkedIn profile page I have My Office Assistant for my company link instead of My Website.
• Complete the online profile including a brief bio, your location and relevant keywords.  Many people will decide whether to connect with you or not based on your bio.  It is okay to add some personality but be sure to focus on your area of business expertise.
• Add a photo/profile image.  Yes I know that sex sells but does it convey the right image for your business.  The best piece of advice I received was to get a professional headshot so if you do not have one you really should splurge on one.  Using a logo or brand image is okay but it is all about connecting and having a photo will add to the personal side of the connection.

Beyond those four networks there are many other choices for you to become active in to widen your reach and authority.  Here are a few others that I have found:

• Your blog and the blogs of others: By posting fresh frequent content you allow the search engines a reason to crawl your site.   This also allows you to use relevant keywords for better site optimization.  Also, when you guest post on other blogs it will give you a chance to share your knowledge with a wider audience.
• Discussion Board/Forum: By actively participating you can make many connections and set yourself apart for those looking for the best of the bunch.  Many times if I need to add to my team or need to hire out some work I will check industry discussion boards to get a feel for those who are sharing quality information and knowledge.
• GetListed.org:  Claiming your listing will allow you to have control over how the search engine indexes you and prevents your competition or spammers from hijacking your listings.  By using this service you can get yourself listed on 6 different directories and get a to-do list of items or information that you are missing.
• Videos and Podcasts:  You may not be great at writing but can share your thoughts in creative ways through video and audio.  Another way to build your reach is to take advantage of these venues.  Just remember to add a profile, avatar, links and relevant keywords so that they account work s for you.

There are many other avenues and it is okay to not like or use any of the above.  By taking the simple steps of consistency and frequency you too can add social media to your SEO plan.

All the best,

Lee

 Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net