Navigating a social media can be overwhelming, any way you slice it. The simplicity is ANY presence on ANY social network is going to be better than none. Buy why waste time opening and creating accounts on less effective sites when good ones can be used first? So here’s a list of qualities I look for in a social networking site for corporate social media campaign:

●        Are there plenty of places to include text? If you’re going to take a few hours to create a bio for yourself and your company, make sure to include words matching what people are already searching in Google or other search engines. Google can’t “read” audio files, pictures or video, so having text or at least being able to add captions to is important. Don’t forget to include your long tail keyword research anywhere you can in the text you create.

●        Is the site photo/video capable? People like pictures and video, regardless of Google’s inability to “read” them. Include some visuals, at the very least a decent profile picture.

●        Does the site look professional? Easy to navigate, clean and simple is best when it comes to business. Someone searching for an answer to a problem probably isn’t interested in suffering through fancy moving pictures that take a long time to load.

●        Can potential prospects connect to you personally and publicly? Just by being connected to current clients online could generate new business if the connection is visible to their contacts. Facebook is a great example of public, easily viewable connections between people.

●        Is it easy to reach you using modern channels? Email, text message, fax and phone?

●        Does the site showcase more than just the “standard” information one might find in a Yellow Pages listing? People look for answers online, so make sure you give them answers in your text. What are your products and services? Who are you and what sets you apart from the others in your industry? What kind of customers are you best able to help?

●        Can you modify the content and appearance of the site yourself, or does it require an IT Department or webmaster? Granted some elements will never be under your control (Facebook just might always be a hue of blue regardless of your preference). But social networking sites are usually set up so even a novice may just fill in content without having to hire someone technical.

●        Interactive. This is where business cards and online social networking part. And although this is listed last, it’s perhaps the most important, tying into the relationships aspect inherent in social media. Facebook has set the pace in this department by making practically everything on their site “shareable,” with or without a personal message from the sender. If everyone you know shared your business with just one person this year whom you could provide a service for, how many new clients could you gain? How much would it cost you? Hopefully the answer is “a lot of clients” and “it cost nothing.” This aspect alone is worth getting on board with online social networks.

Social media is an effective part of a modern effective marketing plan. Hopefully the above guide will help you find an appropriate site to use for your business.