Yesterday I shared the poll results from this week’s poll – Which Social Media Tools are Best for Business. We learned that your favorites were Twitter, Blogs, and the almighty Facebook. Yesterday I took each and explained why they’re good for your business and a few tips in maximizing each. Take a look at that if you haven’t already.

Poll Results

Today, let’s look at some of the other social media tools that were voted on as well.

Linkedin – I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know what to do with my Linkedin account when I first signed up. However, there are lots of goodies waiting for you if you know what’s really cooking under there. It’s a great social network for professionals in almost any industry and lets you connect with groups and such. The awesome part of Linkedin is the profile, first and foremost, which lets people leave recommendations, imports latest blog posts, pictures, and more with simple add-ons.
Business Use: This bad boy is all business 24/7. Set up shop with a great profile, nice pic, and you’re just about set. However, the second awesome part of Linkedin are the groups. Set up camp in a group related to your industry either locally or nationally and let the engagement begin. You can quickly build credibility and authority by answering submitted questions and submitting news/articles of interest as well. I really think the tool shines when connecting with people locally. The ability to search for people in your industry, where you live, is powerful and essential to creating relationships.

Note: Are you Linked-In? Connect with me there as well!

Youtube – Who doesn’t know what Youtube is? If you don’t, then you must be living under a rock . . . in Africa . . . on the coast. Youtube “ain’t” just for watching kids doing stupid things in their spare time. It’s a powerful tool for building your business brand.
Business Use: Youtube can be used for video blogging within the office, you can do series how-to videos, and even upload conference speeches that you record if you’re a speaker. It all adds up to building credibility which simple solidifies that you are who you say you are as well as your brand. The best part of all, you don’t even have to create content to get started. Simply sign up for an account and find videos related to your business, product, or service. This will give visitors something related to your company or brand to connect with until you create your own content. This technique will also help you to generate a following which will be at your disposal for driving traffic to your website or blog for more content.

Note: Check the Inside the Success channel on Youtube! It’s chock full of videos to keep you inspired, empowered, and equipped for success!

Google Reader – Reader is definitely one of the best ways to keep up with your blog reading and website updates. If you don’t know how RSS works or what it is, watch this video for a brief explanation.
Business Use: Remember, this is social media, so there aren’t any “rules” when it comes to how you use a tool or service. Experiment and see what works best for you. The way I use Google Reader is to find blogs I love that are related to my niche or market, and I share articles on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Why? Number one, because I DON’T know it all so why try to fake the funk? Why not share some great content from someone who may be more knowledgeable in certain areas than me? Secondly, this is how I continue to engage my followers, friends, and associates. When they think of me they’ll know that I can be trusted as an authority on Christian Entrepreneurship, social media, blogging, etc and a source for information as well.

Note: And if you’re ever looking for something great to read along those lines, check out my Google Reader Shared Page.

How do you use these social media tools? Which one yields the best result for your business? What kind of strategy do you employ to maximize each? Share your thoughts below.

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