Colette Mason rounds-up her series on social media skills with a recap on the do's and don'ts. We also have 10 copies of her book to give away.

Let’s end our social media mini-course with a quick review of what we’ve covered and some of the important learning points we’ve mastered together. 

Don't write social media off thinking it’s for teenagers

Now we've completed the mini-course, you should have plenty evidence, examples and strategies to show that you can use social media effectively in your business. 

"Always remember people buy from people and so personal connections and referrals can be very useful for boosting your profits."

It might take a little while to put a strategy together that you feel comfortable with, but it is possible. Try to bear in mind it's simply an online version of offline networking and marketing that you’re probably already doing. Always remember people buy from people and so personal connections and referrals – whether they come from social media or a traditional business breakfast meeting - can be very useful for boosting your profits.

Social media makes it easier for you to identify people who are beneficial to your business because people freely share information about themselves. Just like you might attend a trade show to meet new business people you have something in common with, you can replicate this process quickly and cheaply using social media strategies.

Do keep it warm, genuine and human

Remember not to be too starchy, you need to show a human side even if you are in an ultra-traditional business.
You need to be professional without being cold and soul-less.

If you get stuck, think back to the personal branding exercise where you came up with five words to describe emotions - push the envelope enough so your authenticity comes across and followers feel comfortable connecting with you, without undermining how you want to be perceived in the marketplace.

Don't over analyse - get started and then refine

It would be easy to put off getting started, constantly refining ideas on paper or in meetings, but I think the best way to learn is to give it a go.

It's like learning to drive a car, you can read all the manuals you want to, but until you do a hill start in the driving seat you've no idea about clutch biting points, getting that stressed feeling as you realise another car is right behind you. All you’ve really done is prove you can read, observe and listen. You have to do the driving bit for yourself to cement what you’ve learned.

Start off setting up your profile and doing some brief introductory updates then take it from there. The world's not going to end if you start your campaign with something 95% perfect. It doesn't need to be 100% perfect before you let anyone know you're looking to connect.

Do use social media to regularly touch base with prospects and customers and build relationships

Many sales and marketing experts say it can take up to seven contacts with a prospect before they want to do business with you. The great thing about social media is that it is another way to vary contacts with your target market - you can write to them, ring them, meet them, and connect with them, to help turn those prospects into customers.

Don't get left behind - reserve your name start building your following

Don't leave it too late, there are only be one perfect URL for your social media link - for example, if you run the Nirvana Beauty Spa, what happens if fans of Nirvana the band have already used up the URLs you want?
There was only one twitter.com/colettemason, so I made sure I got it. I missed out on facebook. I snoozed and lost.

The chances of finding your ideal URL diminish all the time. You'll have to pick something long and clunky as a URL the longer you leave it, so don't delay.

Final word

There are some fantastic opportunities to be experienced, and a global marketplace to start connecting with and learning from - do your business a favour and get started today.

I would love to hear your success stories about your social media marketing campaigns – please do let me know.
Pop along to my website and send me a message via the contact form. It would be great to celebrate your successes on my blog.

If you’ve got any questions or suggestions for how to make the course better – let me know that too.

Book giveaway

TrainingZone has 10 copies of Colette Mason's Social Media Success in 7 Days to giveaway. The first 10 readers to tweet @trainingzone on Twitter with the words 'book please' will receive a copy.

The social media skills series:

• Part one: social media for technophobes
• Part two: how to identify your social media goals
• Part three: finding your voice
• Part four: standing out from the crowd
• Part five: how to master your social media updates
• Part six: how to avoid being boring and predictable
• Part seven: making a return on investment with social media
• Part eight: understanding your long-term social media plans

Colette Mason runs an international online consultancy which shows businesses and entrepreneurs how to use the internet and social media to boost their business online. With an IT background, which started in support and development and moving on to usability and online marketing techniques, she has worked on some of the biggest projects in Europe. Colette is also author of Social Media Success in 7 Days. For more information please visit: www.socialmediasuccessin7days.com.