by Bruce Newman

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

The importance of social media in business is rapidly increasing.  In fact, Google has already started to include several aspects of social media in its page rank calculations.  What previously worked in achieving a high page ranking may be rapidly losing its effectiveness. 

The list below depicts many of the steps you should take to effectively utilize social networking.  By following some or all of these steps, you will help improve your page ranking while greatly increasing the number and quality of the people who follow you.  Merely signing up on several social media sites is no longer adequate.

1.  Join at least three social networking sites.  The top three are: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  All have strengths and limitations but most importantly, they have large, vibrant communities and groups you can join.

2. Always ensure that your profile is complete.  Update it regularly as many media sites will automatically publish that updated information.

3. Search for key people in your target area and closely observe their actions and the groups they belong to. This will supply you with insight as you develop your own strategy.

4. Find specific groups that are relevant to your target area. Join them and become active.

5. Add value and content to the groups by blogging and commenting on both articles and forums.  Make sure your contact information and a link accompanies with your comments.

6. Ask questions.  Generally, the more specific the question, the fewer number of responses but they will be of a higher quality.

7. Make friend requests to people who make comments to you.  A direct reply is a powerful additional step you can also take.

8. Publish your articles in your blog and on multiple sites.  Ensure that it can be announced and bookmarked on other sites.

These steps will help generate a following.  They take more time and effort than just signing up for the numerous automated tools and groups that are available, but it will enable you to become a thought leader with a significant following and most likely, an improved page rank. 

Bruce Newman is the Vice President at The Productivity Institute, LLC, an acknowledged leader in locating, evaluating and matching the specific areas of expertise of consultants to the needs of its clients.  Bruce has started writing and giving talks on many facets of social media including branding, social media strategies and policy.  He has also developed several social media training courses. In addition, Bruce is the editor of the Productivity Institute Newsletter, a free content-is-king newsletter and thought leader.  Follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter and the Productivity Institute blog.