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Social media continues to evolve and become a powerful force to reach new and existing customers, clients and markets. One of the biggest problems is that businesses don’t know how to take advantage of it – they’re wiping out when they should be riding the wave.

“I’m not getting people to respond to my posts”

Tip 1: Try changing up your postings by asking questions that you need specific feedback on. Keep posts to less than two sentences.

The views on my video(s) are minimal. How can I get more views and promote them to a wider audience other than listing on YouTube?”

Tip 2: Make sure that your videos are short and to the point. List them on multiple directories such as Viddler.com., you can also use automated video marketing systems like TrafficGeyser.com or TubeMogul.com. Adding a contest element to your video can also help drive more traffic and push it out virtually.

“I am not a very social person offline, let alone online. What can I do other than post and engage with people?”

Tip 3: Hire someone to be social for you if that isn’t within your budget, utilize other people’s postings, videos, and content that are related to your industry, yet not competition, and post it on your social sites, a blog, or website. For example a fitness trainer might post content and videos that have to do with nutrition or vitamins; this compliments what the fitness trainers offers, yet is not competition. Make sure you get permission if it is someone else’s content.

“Do I really need to be on every top social site?”

TTip 4: Yes and no. If your target market is not on a particular site, then leave it out. The three major ones –Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedInLinkedIn – are asking of your presence, along with your customers, and prospects. If you do not have a presence on these sites and your audience is trying to find you, talk to you, or see if you are listening, then you are not only missing an opportunity, but you are telling your market that you are not listening to them online. That’s not a good message to send. Don’t get overwhelmed with all of the tools, tips, and tricks at once. Just ease into them, find out what works for you and what doesn’t in regard to reaching out, connecting, and making money online.

“I“I have been blogging for a while now, and I can’t seem to get people to read it, let alone post comments or engage, what am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?”

Tip 5: Consider your blog in light of these two points: How long is the post? If it is more than 700 words, edit it back to 700. Are you asking questions in the post, giving your audience ways to engage and get involved, or are you just talking one way to them? If you solicit suggestions form your readers on how to improve your blog post, you will encourage more people to engage with your If you solicit suggestions form your readers on how to improve your blog post, you will encourage more people to engage with your blog. Make sure you list your blog on technorati.com as well as other blog listing directories under your keywords and categories.

“I would rather get my teeth pulled than get on Twitter and tweet! Do I really need to be on this site? It seems like it is a waste of my time.”

TTip 6: Simple answer: no, you do not need to be on Twitter; however, you should strongly consider it. Twitter is like attending a live event any time you want. It is a way to meet new people, find opportunities, and connect with the media. If you do not want any of these, then stay off Twitter. Remember, however, that it takes more time to go to a local networking event nowadays than it does to jump on the live Twitter feed and have a dozen or so conversations.

TheseThese are just a few of the struggles that may be tripping up your success with social media. This will provide you with a dynamic look at social media, empowering you to elevate your current efforts, overcome common roadblocks, and uncover winning strategies beyond status updates, daily tweets, and weekly posts.