We’ve all heard the phrase “if all you have is a hammer, everything becomes a nail”.  While this is funny, it says something about effort and effectiveness.  In order to build anything functional and great, we need the right materials and tools.

Often times, I see people using only ONE tool in Social Media, trying to make an impact. Businesses may only use a website, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.   All they have is one hammer.  By treating everything as a nail because all one has is a hammer limits your progress.

In order to increase your visibility, influence and reach, you need more than one “tool” to communicate with people.  So, keep your hammer, but invest in some other tools to speed up building your brand and presence.  Here, I’ll share some tools to help you create your content and share it, to reach more people effectively

1. Website or Blog

The first thing I recommend is a Web Presence to communicate regularly with your customers and audience.  Create content in the form of articles, help, resources to share with your readers.  Let everyone know what you do, and use this platform to solidify your brand and establish yourself in your niche.  Write consistently and “talk about what you are about”.  In other words, stick to your script.  If you are in the Fashion and Beauty industry, write about fashion and beauty.  Share tip on the latest trends, do’s and don’ts, upcoming events and everything fashion. This helps you become a valuable resource to the community

2. MultiMedia Presence

We LOVE pictures and Video.  We live in a culture that likes to watch, so create content that your audience and clients can not only read but watch and view.  YouTube and Vimeo are my picks for video.  Flickr is a great place to store and share photos.  Take photos and video at your events and share them.

3. Social Media Network

Facebook, MySpace and BeBo are three very popular Social Media Neworks.  Facebook is now considered a MUST HAVE for any business serious about marketing and reaching people online.  With over 250 million users and growing daily, Facebook is now an essential tool.  Using Social Media to network within and across industries is crucial to building a business that can go global.  With more web-based businesses and companies, Social Media allows you to work across barriers of time, geography and connect with people globally.  Share created content, which, if shared by your network, multiplies your reach exponentially.

4. MicroBlogging Presence

Use Twitter. Period.  Enough Said.  Well, I guess I can say a little more.  Twitter is definitely the microblogging platform of choice for (at the time of this soon to be outdated post) over 10 million people.  To give you a point of reference, in October, that number was hovering around 1.5 million.  Twitter and other microblogging platforms give you roughly 140 characters to share content (yours or that of  others)  in the form of ideas and links.  Create headlines and share information quickly.  The rapid sharing of information , and ability to connect allows your network to grow and your content to be shared much faster than using “traditional” Social Media networks.

5. URL Shrinker (With Tracking)

When you’ve only got 140 or so characters to use, and you want to share a link, you don’t want to waste that space with a huge web-link.  There are several URL Shrinkers (services that convert a long URL like this:  http://www.stacijshelton.com/2009/03/25/how-to-bring-your-client-to-the-light to one like this: http://cli.gs/Gd12re)  to choose from.  I recommend one that allows you to shorten and track your links to see how far your reach goes.  Bit.ly, Tr.im and Cli.gs all have shrinking and tracking combined.

Of these three, my favorite is Cli.gs.  It shows you how many people and bots hit your link, as well as their geographic location. There is also a WordPress Plug-In to automatically post your posts to Twitter that works with Cli.gs when you create a new link.

With these 5 tools to start you off with your Social Media activities, you’ve got a great kit to start building a great network, and expand your presence online.