FACEBOOK, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter… If you are concerned that your business should be making better use of social media, it can be hard to know where to start.

Yet the rewards can be big, with Facebook alone boasting 1.35bn monthly active users – all of whom surrender valuable personal data in return for being able to use its services.

The experts recommend concentrating on the social media platform that best matches the potential customer. Facebook is famously informal, while LinkedIn is very much the business-to-business network.

Sarah Cullen, director of strategy with Poole-based digital marketing agency Intergage, said: “Start by asking your existing customers what social platforms they are using for work purposes and what sort of content they like to read.

“The answer to this question can be found by truly getting to know your customer. Time invested in doing so will not only benefit your social media strategy but also the company in general. It’s an exercise well worth doing.”

She added: “Choose your platforms and do them brilliantly.

“It’s much better to focus on one and do it brilliantly than it is to do them all badly.”

Justin Cohen, inset right, operations director with Bournemouth-based Darren Northeast PR, advises businesses to concentrate on the platforms most applicable to their clients.

“If I was a user consumer of your business, what platform am I likely to be using?” he said.

“We will set up those and we manage their accounts. It’s not just a case of posting Facebook updates every few days. It’s a little bit more strategic as part of their overall marketing plan.”

Brodie McIntosh, digital marketing executive with Intergage, said: “If social media is new to a company, it should start by taking its marketing goals and understanding where social goals could fit in.

“Once that is established, it’s important to conduct research into where desirable users are.

This type of research can be done by a business itself but experts who work on the social platforms every day will have a better knowledge and under-standing of this.”

Justin Cohen points out that most of us experience social media through the ‘front end’ – a Facebook news feed, for example.

The ‘back end’, the internal workings, is becoming ever more important, because it collects so much valuable information.

Facebook, he said, “knows everything about you” – who your friends are, your marital status, your hobbies, where you have been travelling. Change your marital status from ‘single’ to ‘engaged’ on Facebook and you will soon see a change in the adverts that are directed at you.

“I’ve heard from people that Facebook is dead and it’s not working. I think it’s nonsense. I think those platforms are powerful because of the fact that they data-mine everything,” he said.

Just as Facebook collects valuable information about its users, LinkedIn provides busin-ess-to-business sales people with plenty of information to turn cold calling into ‘warm’ calling.

With the social media landscape perpetually changing, Mr Cohen said it often made sense for businesses to hire a professional to keep up.

“They’ve got businesses to run. They don’t really have the time or resources to do it themselves. ”

Darren Northeast PR now has a member of staff tasked with anticipating how social media might look two to four years ahead, he said.

While talk about search engine optimisation (SEO) can sound bafflingly complex, the key to getting yourself noticed online seems to be providing quality content.

That should be good news for creative people – whether that’s writers, designers, photographers or directors of videos.

Sarah Cullen said: “Google’s algorithms reward companies which genuinely produce quality content – it’s as simple as that.

“Focus on producing great content that’s of real benefit to your customer.

“Ask yourself ‘what everyday headaches do my customers come across?’ “Then make it your goal to help them solve these challenges.

“In return they will reward you by sharing this content and you’ll see your online profile rise.”

ONLINE POSTING AND THE LAW

WHAT happens if the social media whiz in your office leaves, taking their LinkedIn contacts with them?

And what do you do if a member of staff has been using Facebook or Twitter in ways that do not reflect well on the business?

As with so many areas of the internet, the case law is still developing.

Amy Cousineau, employment solicitor with Coles Miller, said: “LinkedIn has clear terms of use which state that a LinkedIn profile belongs to the individual user.

“However, in England and Wales the courts have recognised that there will be certain circumstances where an employer has a proprietary interest in an employee’s LinkedIn account.

“Each case will have to be taken on its own merit and employers should be getting specific legal advice at an early stage if they foresee problems arising in the future.

“The case for reference is Whitmar Publications v Gammage.”

As for bringing the company into disrepute, she points out that it has always been misconduct for an employee to make derogatory remarks in public about their employer, its clients or customers.

“We therefore have an old-fashioned problem with a twist,” she said.

“An employer needs to make a reasonable decision given all of the circumstances. “There is still an obligation on an employer to investigate and consult an employee.

“It is a common misconception that an employer can instantly dismiss an employee for gross misconduct.

“In all but the most serious and clear cases, an instant dismissal (dismissal without investigation or allowing the employee to respond) would be unfair.”

The key, she said, was to have a clear policy and make sure people are aware of it.

ACTIVE USERS

Facebook ....................... 1.35bn

YouTube ............................. 1bn

Google+ ........................... 300m

LinkedIn .......................... 300m

Twitter ............................ 284m