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Self promotion knows no bounds online.

The internet, and specifically the rise of social media, has made it even easier for folks to pursue ruthless ambition to succeed online. A major part of online success is being able to see through the smoke and mirrors that many personalities put up around themselves.

With the internet making anonymity and disguise so simple, many people set up illusions that simply aren’t themselves. I often compare this to the classic 70s game show, “The Dating Game.” It’s easy to sit behind the partition and try to impress the “contestant” with how charming and clever you are. But sooner or later, they will step around the partition – that’s the moment of truth. Will they be surprised with what they find?

Forget About the Numbers
Some of the world’s biggest spammers have hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter, while there are bestselling authors that may only have a couple hundred. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, and they shouldn’t be your sole basis for determining influence. The rat race has merely moved online — with everyone desperately competing to end up one follower ahead, one blog comment up from their competitors, with online bragging rights as the primary (if not sole) payoff.

Assigning value solely on “the numbers” is a strategy that’s sure to end in disappointment and frustration. Instead, look for traffic that’s valuable – the type of readers and followers that take action, rather than the type that merely skim the content and move on.

It’s possible to be both, but if you could only choose one – would you rather be a thought or traffic leader?

Those with the most powerful audience are always the most powerful. Think about it this way: if you were marketing B2B products, which audience would you prefer? 10,000 regular consumers, or an audience of 100 CEOs of top firms, each with a massive budget for inter-company products.

Pick your audience by strength, not just by size.

The Key to Rising Above the Noise
For all of the interpersonal discussion that surrounds social media, the core itself seems strangely devoid of any real person-to-person interaction. One comment I hear from clients again and again is, “how do I rise above the noise?”

Whether you prefer the words of Shakespeare’s Hamlet or Dr. Seuss’ Happy Birthday to You!, the underlying message is both simple and the same – be yourself.

Focus on engaging the followers you have by being genuine in your communications, showing interest in others, and providing content of value. Imagine how you might engage your followers in a real-life situation – would you bombard them with a never-ending litany of sales pitches?

I certainly hope not. If you did, it wouldn’t be for long.

Engage your followers with a careful balance of content – links to relevant industry articles, share content presented by others, posts of a personal nature, and promotional posts. Concentrate on being a trusted source first, and a marketer second.

A Bitter Pill to Swallow: The Fallout From Getting it Wrong
One of the many benefits of social media is to employ it as a real-time market research tool; it enables consumers to provide immediate feedback on brands and products, as well as customer service issues and complaints.

Bottom line – ignore social media at your own peril. Of course, employing social media without a definitive plan can prove equally disastrous – a lesson that far too many brands discover the hard way.

In November of 2008, the makers of Motrin® pain reliever were given a bitter pill to swallow after launching what they thought would be a very successful online ad campaign.

The ad stated that while toting a baby around in a sling can cause back and neck pain, it “seems to be in fashion” and “totally makes [me] look like an official mom.” Outraged mothers took to the Twitterverse to share their feedback, which gained additional traction with the use of the #MotrinMoms hashtag. By the following Monday morning, the ad was gone, and an official apology was issued by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

Is this really how McNeil perceived their customers? Probably not. But had McNeil taken the time to conduct an online market research study to first test the campaign among their target audience (in this case, mothers), they could have utilized that feedback, and avoided a very pricey and embarrassing mistake.

It’s one you can bet they won’t make again.

Social media should be a vital part of any marketing strategy – be it on or offline. Consider it as just one more tool in your promotional arsenal – but remember that even the best tools are only as effective as the individual that wields them.

About the Author:
Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is a business consultant and coach that specializes in the unique marketing and promotional needs of small businesses, authors and startups. Drawing on over twenty years of Fortune 500 experience in the fields of marketing research and promotion, Traci’s blog utilizes pop culture and trends to illustrate business concepts and principles, and blends helpful tips and resources with a healthy dose of humor. Traci is the founder and publisher of Entrepreneur & Self-Employed Business Journal. To connect with Traci, visit her on Facebook or Twitter.