Jumping into Social Media can be confusing & overwhelming. Do you need to sign-up and be active on every one? Which Social Networks should I spend my time on? These questions could cause Social Media paralysis. And, that’s been my situation for quite some time. Non-action, even though I have profiles on several social networking sites.

I get IM’s and emails regularly asking me to Digg this, and Sphinn that, and Stumble this, and Reddit that. Not to mention the Linkedin invites, and Facebook friend requests. So up until recently, I’ve been more of a helper & spectator than a participant.

I don’t remember the exact reason why, but Twitter is the Social platform I’ve embraced. I guess I like the micro-blogging aspect which is similar to what I already do here on my blog….just in a much abbreviated format. Not to mention, it’s fun to watch my follower count increase.

That forced me to put on my thinking cap and try to figure out how to get more followers. I wondered about Quality vs Quantity. In my opinion, I think both are important. Quality for the consumption and dissemination of information relevant to my interests. And, quantity for the reason to get a message out. The pure viral aspect is an exciting potential for every post.

My Twitter objective is to Tweet (and Retweet) about SEO/PPC, Social Media, Affiliate Marketing & related news strategies and tactics.

Twitter:
I’ll come right out and say it….I want more followers. Let’s be honest; I’m sure most people do. Follow me. One of my tactics to gain followers is to conduct a Twitter Search, for keywords related to my core subject/interest. Eg: SEO, PPC, Social Media, etc. Then I click on the @ in the results to find out if that person and I have the same interests. If yes, then I follow them 1st. There’s been a high percentage of people that follow back. If related interests, then it makes sense to follow each other.

Social Etiquette: If someone follows me, then I follow them back. I think it’s social etiquette and just the right thing to do.

I also retweet stories that are related to my core subject matter. And, interacting with fellow Tweeters by @’ing at and with them.

Linkedin:
I’ve become more active on Linkedin through joining Groups and starting a discussion within those groups. In the discussion, I use my Twitter profile URL as my signature. Linkedin also has “Answers”. This is another valuable Social platform to get noticed and build your personal brand.

Facebook:
Recently, I’ve been updating my Facebook status when I’m Tweeting. And, I’ve been friending people who I should’ve connected with a long time ago. This is another way of building my personal brand awareness and Twitter followers.

Flickr:
I started using my Flickr account more. I’ve signed up for a Pro account. After I upload a photo, I search to see if there is a relevant group. Then, I join it and add my photo to the group. Besides increasing views to the photos, I’ve gotten a few comments and some Twitter followers who are photographers. Leaving comments on other photos is another good method to get noticed and perhaps a clickthrough to your profile page where a link to Twitter is.

Even though my focus is on the Social Networks above, I’m still happy to help out my fellow Social Media peeps with a Digg, Stumble, Reddit, or Sphinn

Additional Reading:
1) If I Started in Social Media Today.
2) 10 ways to find readers for your blog.
3) Getting More Twitter Followers and Twittering for Business.
4) How do I get more followers on Twitter?.
5) Great Internet Marketing Tips.
6) A reaction to Howard Stern’s thought on Social networks.
7) 26 Reasons Why I Love Twitter

Related posts:

1. Where’s Your Social Media Weakness?
2. Different Avatars for Different Sites
3. Usage Research for Social Media Websites
4. Social Media Optimization Tutorial
5. Leveraging User-Generated Content