If you've been hiding under a rock then you've no doubt heard of, or are even participating in, social media and networking with other people through social type websites.

This type of networking has really made an impact in 2008 and I only see it getting much larger, more defined, and greatly emphasized in 2009. So what are you doing with it? Or actually, are you getting social in your advertising?

Online advertising with social media is basically connecting with others and building relationships with those people. In building those relationships you are in essence advertising you, your brand, your website, and your services.

However, getting started with social media, or going social, does take a little getting use to. In the last half of the year it is amazing how many people have come out with products, courses, and services aimed directly at those who are trying to get into social media marketing. The business is simply exploding. And for good reason.

Current studies are proving that the results made by using social media websites like Twitter and StumbleUpon are rapidly increasing as more and more people are connecting in this way.

For example, visits to my blogs (TimBossie.com and SocialMediaMarketerTips.com have risen a great deal because of my connections, and activity, with social media. How does this happen? How can you benefit with social media? Here's a few steps to benefiting from social media marketing.

1. Get started slowly. My biggest mistake in social media was I went crazy with signing up for everything going. I didn't give myself time to adjust to what social media was and what I should have been doing. Take a few networks and gradually get involved.

2. Have a plan. It is a lot easier to plan your social activities if you are only involved with a few of them. Planning is important because social marketing does take time and you want to use that time wisely.

3. Participate and contribute. Social is social. It means interaction. It means that you can't lurk around and benefit from it. You must participate. Fortunately, participating is as simple as just saying hi to people, commenting on their updates, asking questions, answering questions and speaking about what you are doing. There is no right or wrong formula for participating. Just be yourself and connect.

The other part of that equation is to contribute. Your social marketing will have a greater benefit if you add to the conversations. Add your thoughts, opinions, helpful suggestions, links to solutions, and anything else that will be beneficial to others.

4. Have a main platform where all roads lead. Going social is a great thing but you must have a reason for it. That means a destination, or outcome for all that socializing. In most cases, all roads don't lead to Rome but to blogs. Of course, it doesn't have to be a blog. Your road could lead to a landing page, website, product page, or whatever else you'd like, but it must be a consistent destination. All roads must lead there.

That's the reason people use blogs as their main destination that holds all their social activity together.

5. Have fun with it. Finally, keep in mind that socializing with people is suppose to be fun and not a burden. If you don't like doing it, then it will show in everything that you try to do. People will see it through your inconsistencies and lack of enthusiasm. So loosen up and have some fun with it. Indulge.

Social media marketing is going to be one of the major advertising methods in the coming year and more than likely the next decade. Capitalize on this now and get started with your own social media campaign.

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Want to know more about writing social media? You'll find more information on that, and a lot more, here at my social media blog.