Staying caught-up with all the new technology and social networking sites these days feels overwhelming to many small business owners. But learning the basics can put your business a step ahead.

While paid advertising is essential, social networking is a new and exciting opportunity to further develop your business. Did you know more than 800 million people are active users of Facebook, more than 50 million actively use Twitter and you can connect with them about your company and products? That’s millions of potential customers! Learning how to use these new opportunities now gives you a competitive edge over your competitors who wait until later, or choose not to join in.

Simply create a profile page for your business on Facebook and sign up for a Twitter account. It’s fast, easy and free.

Click here to create your page on Facebook and sign-up for your Twitter account here.

One important aspect to the strategy of successfully using social networking to your advantage is content. Quality and quantity are important. By consistently adding content to your Facebook or Twitter page you will constantly be flickering through the minds of passers-by. Catch their attention. Hold it. Make them remember you. If they like what they’ve read from you in the past they’ll take a moment to read your new update or status in the future.

Much of the social marketing world is an online version of word-of-mouth advertising, which is the most powerful kind — powerful because it’s based on trust. If your friend “likes” a hair salon on Facebook or follows them on Twitter and you’re unhappy with the salon you’ve gone to for years, won’t you consider trying theirs out because you trust and value your friend’s opinion? I thought so.

While social networking is an effective outlet for you to tell the world about your services remember that the effectiveness in the long run is solely dependent on your service. News about your company will spread whether it’s good or bad—it will spread the quickest if it’s exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. When companies treat their customers remarkably well and offer great products the talk going around will match the outstanding service.