Social Media is in. It has overtaken the Internet and most definitely our lives. We do it anywhere, and about everything. We do it from our iPhones, feeds, tweetdecks and via countless other tools. Amidst the stream of me-former updates I receive every day from my friends, I was interested to see how effective social media is in terms of in-forming and making a difference to the marketing strategy of my online business.

The results were astonishing. Social media can significantly boost the ranking and visits to your website. But there is a very fine line between informative, heplful messages and useless spamming. It takes some skill, quite a bit of research and a lot of common sense to get it right.

The number one rule is that you should never, ever expect to be able to control the outcome of your messages online. Once the message is out there, it will work for and against you, no matter what. But with practice you can make sure it gets to the right audience, and most importantly to those who are interested and want to listen to what oyu have to say.

Social media is exactly what it claims to be: social. Develop a good plan before you begin your social media activity. You should also develop a thick skin, as social interaction means that you have to withstand criticism once in a while. See it as an opportunity rather than an offense, and never stop working on yourself and improving your web presence.

Finally, learn the rules of the game. Social media has its own terms and rules, and you will have much more success if you know how to express yourself online. Observe, listen, and imitate, but above all: don’t forget to be yourself. Individualism counts!