With the business world now diving headfirst into social media, the more traditional avenues of advertising - television, radio, press - are coming under pressure to perform and connect with their audience like never before.

Online social media outlets possess the key ingredients for you to successfully communicate with your audience. The framework of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to set detailed targeting parameters that help ensure you and your content reach a responsive audience.

For most brands that utilise social media the first ever connection with a prospective customer begins online.

As example, a brand that sells sports shoes (let's call them "Sprint Shoes") set-up a Facebook profile. Fans are drawn to the page because of the brands sold by the company (e.g. Nike, Adidas etc) even if they have not visited the store before.

1. Develop a fan base

Developing a fan base is the next step. Anyone can "like" a page - the goal of any fan page is to develop interaction with your fans. The more (positive) interaction on a fan page, the more likely a new fan is to trust online feedback - which is essentially works as 'real-time' testimonials for a lot of brands.

2. Build your community

Once there is a solid fan base and good interaction and feedback, the time is right to start your branding. If you are new to social media it is a good idea to research your competitor's profiles and use the number of fans in their fan base as an industry average for your own.

Giveaways are an excellent way to begin. Fans and online communities love giveaway items. Whether it's a pair of joggers, or a discount card that will apply on their next visit, giveaways are an ideal way to get some strong interaction and feedback from your online community.

3. Gather feedback

Consider this. You have built the fan page for your brand, spent the time interacting with your community, and now need to gather some feedback...

Getting responses from your fans to questions is never going to be easy. The issue arises when the questions you want to ask become 'wordy' and 'branded'.

Data gathering is a definite bonus of having an online community, but it needs to be done right and carefully in order to fit into the social media framework.

Consider the two posts below using our example company "Sprint Shoes".

• " Sprint Shoes have now brought out the "Adidas Runner" in a new and improved design.The Biomorphic Fit upper design and Asymmetrical lacing with the new Discreet Eyestay Lacing system provides excellent upper fit, comfort and performance. We'd love to know what you think about this new design!"

• "New Adidas Runner design - better than the old one??" (include image below of two shoes side-by-side)

In the two posts above the same question has been put to your fan base, but the wording is entirely different.

Long-winded posts are often ignored by social media users because of the time involved in interacting.

The widely-accepted theory is that social media 'works' because of the convenience it offers. With people feeling they have less and less time to spend socialising in person - the need for quick and convenient access to social portals has become an integral part of today's society.

The same theory therefore must be considered when seeking feedback or interaction from your fans - create a post that is "quick and convenient". Something that will catch the eye of your fans, and at the same time be 'short' enough (3 lines of text maximum) to encourage them to interact.

4. Maintain

With your fan base increasing nicely and your community interaction and feedback under control - it is now important to ensure you maintain these!

Always remember that posting sporadically is not the way to maintain a good online community. Keep it regular, even if the post is just to wish everyone a good weekend, regularity makes a huge difference to the way your community will respect the content you deliver.

As more and more consumers go online to evaluate their options and get the best possible deals, the buying process has become far more ‘social.’ Networking and product review sites facilitate the real-time sharing of business expertise and experience – never forget that your customers are paying attention! Here are the 4 key values that social media has to offer businesses.

Increased brand awareness

Generate brand awareness through social media by ensuring that you tick all the boxes when it comes to supplying your customers with information.

When a consumer finds your business on a social platform they are looking for three things: engaging content, customer feedback and relevant business information.

Search engine Google regularly indexes social media platforms for new and updated content. If your business uses social media to advertise, chances are your customers are finding you through Google.

Therefore each social media platform that your business is a part of represents another direct avenue for brand awareness.

With more than 750 million active users, global giant Facebook is one of the most powerful social media tools you can use to promote your brand.

Networking opportunities – the three C’s

Networking is about making a connection and establishing a relationship. If networking is to be successful you need to make sure people know who you are, and what you're good at.

Businesses use social networking to drive their interaction with customers, colleagues and competitors.

As discussed, consumers are increasingly looking for confirmation online before committing to purchase. Social networking allows you to connect with your prospective customers, and offer them the reassurance they are after.

LinkedIn is a business-orientated social networking site for professionals. It is the perfect hub for highlighting your professionalism and shedding light on some of the high qualities of your business.

ROI - through online campaigns

Although Google Adwords is still the strongest contender for online marketing, it is impossible to ignore the effectiveness of a good social media campaign.

Marketing through social media allows a business to hone in on their target audience and demographic. A good campaign will utilise every connection for maximum ROI.

"2010 was the year that Facebook firmly established itself as a major force not only in social network advertising but all of online advertising," said eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

Businesses who advertise online cannot afford to ignore Facebook’s global presence. A user-friendly interface conceals the strategic algorithms that work to deliver an invaluable marketing tool for businesses.

Cost-effectiveness

At some point in every marketing campaign, whether it is on or offline, you will hit a point where you need to fork out money.

Offline media is generally out of your control as you are reliant on the rates provided by TV and radio stations, newspapers, and honest media agencies.

Marketing through online social media means YOU are in control of how much you spend. It’s possible to set up a daily, weekly or monthly budget to ensure you only spend what you can afford.

Clearly define what you want to achieve, how much you can afford to spend, and who you want to target, before beginning any campaign. Make sure to deal only with a reputable media agency who are every bit as committed as you, and watch your social media investments flourish.