Even more ideal: you can partner with them on a (disclosed) pay-for- performance basis, in which they help promote your company in exchange for a pay-per-lead or percentage-of-revenue basis. Both partners win this way: the blogger/organization creates value for their audience and earns extra income or revenue, and the company generates leads or sells product. Social Media Online networking, social media and social bookmarking sites are great tools to support blog readership growth and to support search engine rankings. But I’ve found that the ROI from social media isn’t cumulative or compounding when used in isolation - unless you’re already famous. I do think it’s a very important part of an inbound marketing mix as it adds a human face to your company. However, it does not immediately drive a lot of direct traffic that converts into leads. Social media can also be extremely powerful if a sales and marketing team coordinates some social media marketing activities and leverages the distributed team’s personal networks to launch a product, get feedback and raise awareness about a campaign. Sites like LinkedIn and Twitter also make it a bit easier to initially connect with a prospect or lead who seems immune to voicemails and emails. Do Fewer Things, Better Do not try to do everything at once! Pick two or three of the above options to begin with and focus on first, building some expertise, momentum and results, before beginning to add more activities. Beware of scattering your energy in too many directions and projects at any one time.