I just had a flower shop here in Las Vegas follow us, and wondered why? I looked and they had one Tweet, one Follower, and were following over 700 people. It is clear they need a lesson in Social Media. This article will show you what social media is.

The idea behind any social media site be it Twitter, Facebook or YouTube, is to be a part of a community. Most people that blindly start marketing their business with social media tend to make unrepairable mistakes.

Using the example above, let's look at their mistake. Ok so maybe they thought let's follow everyone in Las Vegas and maybe that will get us more followers. Sounds good in theory but it goes against everything in social media. It is right there in the name, "be social". You need to be part of the conversation, and following people that really have no interest in your business is a waste of time.

When you look to follow people on Twitter or Like them on Facebook, you have to be able add to the conversation. Simply spouting out special offers from your business is not part of the conversation.

When I look for someone to follow on Twitter I first look at how many Tweets they have posted. Then I look at what they Tweet. Do they Tweet quality content? Do they Tweet about content they wrote, or do the simply Retweet other people's content? I then look at their website, this also tells me if this person is worth following.

If someone has a ton of followers and is following a ton of people but only has a few tweets, why would you want to follow them? They are not saying anything.

After I make the decision to follow someone I click the Follow button, then I take a look at the suggestions made by Twitter, and do the same thing all over again.

When you follow people that have similar interests you are bound to have them follow you back. These are also the people that will truly listen to what you have to say.

This is the idea behind social media. Don't be over anxious, look for people that will hear you.

Again think about the example above. If you used that thought process when you went to a party, and you tried talking to people that do not have similar interests to you, how uncomfortable would that be?

So start with quality content, then look for people with similar ideas to follow, and be a part of the conversation. If you find something interesting that some else Tweets, retweet it, @mention them, and see how your followers will grow.