The A-B-C's of social media

New to social media? Here's what you need to know to be successful. It's as easy as A-B-C.

Automate: Nothing wrong with setting up tweets in advance. Try http://su.pr.

Blog: Maintain one as a hub to get your point across. Then supplement with social media.

Comment: On any platform, a quick comment is good for your social media karma.

DM: On Twitter, it's customary to send a direct message to thank a new follower. Never use automated messages.

E-mail: It's not dead yet. Sign up at posterous.com and be reminded how powerful it is.

Follow and friend: When someone follows you, follow back. It's social media. Be social.

Get busy: Building a large network requires hard work, unless you're Ashton Kutcher.

Hashtags: Keywords preceded by the # sign. Helps other tweeters find topics quickly.

Icon: Make sure you upload one to all your social media profiles so you aren't mistaken for a spammer.

Justin.tv: Video is hot. Use justin.tv to broadcast and watch live video on Facebook.

Keywords: Make the most of your 140 characters. Carefully choose keywords, then post.

Listen: No original content? No problem. Start by listening to what others are saying.

Mashable.com: Social media bible for beginners and advanced users alike.

Network: Attend tweetups (meetings of Twitter users) and other social networking events. Know your audience.

Obama: Looking for inspiration? The president embraces social media like a pro.

Profiles: Fill them in completely.Otherwise, you may not be listed in important directories.

Quid pro quo: If someone asks for a favor--such as retweeting a link--consider it. They could return the favor someday.

RT: Retweeting says you think your followers would enjoy what someone else is posting. It's a nice thing to do.

Shrinkage: Size matters. Smaller links mean more room to tweet. Try http://is.gd.

Transparency: Tweeting or Facebooking at work? Be transparent about your relationship with the company.

Use the @ symbol: It means you're talking to a particular person. Started on Twitter but is recognized anywhere online.

Visual: Photos and videos are fun. Post some. Check out Twitpic and Twitvid.

Wordpress.com: Perfect place to start a free blog.

Xobni.com: Outlook plugin that searches all over the Web for info about your contacts.

YouTube: The amount of video instruction available there is staggering. Use it.

Zooloo.com: Cool-looking dashboard with one-click access to all your social media.

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