There are literally hundreds of social media sites you can use to grow your business, but the question you need to ask yourself is… “Do I need to join all of them?” The honest answer to that question is NO.

There are a number of social media sites you need to consider but you should really consider using the Big 4. The four largest social media sites would be YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. These are the ones everyone uses and you should as well.

Videos are a good way to share what you offer to your market. Once you create those videos you need a place to upload them to so others can see and YouTube is the best platform to use. YouTube gives you the ability to have subscribers to your channel and you’ll have the ability to have others make comments on your videos.

LinkedIn is a resume’ type site and it’s a great way to find new customers or for customers to find you. You’ll add your business information to the site and make regular posts so your profile stays active. You’ll also have the ability to join groups and communicate with others. It’s a good way to stay in front of others.

Facebook is the number one social media site on the net. You have the ability to connect with others, share your blog posts, and so much more. With all the traffic that’s drawn to Facebook it’s know wonder it’s part of the Big 4 when it comes to social media.

Twitter is the second largest social media site and it’s one you should most definitely be a part of and visit on a regular basis. Even though you’re limited to 140 characters, you’ll more than likely find a way around that every time. You need to add your blog to it and post your articles when they’re approved by article directories.

When you’re trying to grow your business you’ll find much more success will come your way when you use the Big 4 which include YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. When you use the Big 4 together you’ll place yourself in just the right place every time.

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If you haven’t already, now is a critical time to get your social media checklist going, reviewed and implemented to make your 2011 a successful networking year.

So many things change in such a short amount of time, so it’s hard to keep up with everything. However, if you want your business to be successful, there are certain areas within social media that you should take note of. Sometimes, not everyone will have time or understand all these areas, therefore, many people will need a social media virtual assistant to help.

Here is a detailed social media check-list of things you or your social media virtual assistant should cover:

Marketing Overview:

• Create and carry out a plan to syndicate your articles
• Create and implement a plan for all marketing strategies and campaigns
• Run split tests on all of your marketing campaigns and view results

Your Blog:

• Make a plan that allows you to consistently post updated or new content
• Keep your blog up-to-date with all new plugins and upgrades
• Always be sure to submit your blog to RSS feeds
• Focus on creating a strategy for keyword placement, tagging and categorizing
• Be sure to connect your blog with all your social media platforms so updates are relayed in real-time

Twitter:

• If you’re using a custom background (which hopefully you are) make sure it’s professional and compelling
• Follow up on your past objectives and goals for Twitter to see if they need to change, and ensure you are achieving your original purpose
• Create or update your plans to get more followers
• Examine how often you “tweet,” and if you need to do less or more. Also examine what tweets received feedback and which do not, then construct a new plan for 2011

Facebook:

• Make your personal profile strong, unique and professional
• Create a Fan Page or update your current fan page with many of the special features that Facebook offers such as a welcome page and FBML tabs
• Examine your objectives and goals for Facebook and update it, examine why you are on Facebook and what you can do better
• Create a plan to get more Fans on Facebook
• Be sure to add your Facebook Badge to all your sites i.e. blog, website, etc.
• Create or update your Facebook plan to engage past, current and potential clients
• Create a plan to keep your Facebook page up-to-date and consistent with updates

LinkedIn:

• Be sure you’ve created a professional profile and that it is completely filled out with appropriate information
• Ask for endorsements
• Create a plan and start it by being a Q&A expert role
• Make sure your LinkedIn account is connected to your other social media accounts

Other Social Media Accounts:

• Stay updated with the new sites developing to make sure you are where your clients are
• In finding new sites to participate in, set up a plan and times to update and create those accounts
• If you haven’t before, create a video campaign plan with YouTube on your social media accounts

This list is by far not the total amount of work needed to actively keep up with the numerous social media platforms out there. However, it’s a really great start if you’re new to this arena.  Furthermore, if you are new to social media or have experienced social media and its many benefits, this list will certainly help you to make 2011 a far more successful year than before. In any case, social media takes up a lot of time, as you can see, so hiring a social media virtual assistant may help you to clear up some of these tasks.

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