How to REALLY make the most of your social media content

You no doubt are sharing your content on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but to really make the most of social media today, check out a range of other more specialized networks or marketing tools.

The question so many of you are asking: "I've heard so many marketing experts emphasize the importance of good content, but what do I do to help it stand out and reach the right audience?"

YES...content is crucial, but it's only one piece of a larger puzzle, that includes promotion, social media, and active engagement in a larger conversation.

Begin by leveraging your own marketing assets, such as blogs and email lists. Businesses with a robust presence in the blogosphere can have a 13-times better chance of recovering their investments with a positive ROI. A key feature of these assets is that they are permission based, meaning that online users can sign up or join in order to receive ongoing updates. This can create a great platform for you to not only share content, but to receive feedback and continue developing your message.

Consider, also, joining a social sharing community, such as Triberr or BizSugar, to participate in circulating note-worthy articles and bulletins, in which burgeoning entrepreneurs and experts in certain fields can form alliances and support one another. Participating in discussion on online forums, LinkedIn groups, and Google Plus communities is another way of generating followers and breaking into new demographics that you may not have initially accounted for.

As you diversify your presence on social media, seek out experts and influencers. You can form connections through interviewing them and posting the interview on your blog, or quoting them. If you choose to do the latter, make use of proper hashtags as well as a "+" which you can add to their name in a Google+ shout out. This will notify them through their email that they've been mentioned, and bring your work to their attention as well. Read 4 basic rules for approaching influencers here.

Like with many things in life, timing is essential, and there are great tools available to help you find the most seize-worthy moments. Tweriod is a free tool that notifies you when a big proportion of your Twitter followers is gathering online so that you can get better exposure and stir buzz. Facebook Insights provides you with pertinent information about your page fans' online behavior. It can inform you on which particular day and times of the day these fans are most active on Facebook. Timing+ is a similar tool, but for content promotion on Google Plus.

Finally, if it's in your budget, supplement your campaign with paid content promotion platforms, like Taboola, Adblade, and Zemanta in the form of advertorials, press releases, and inclusion in newsletters to email lists.

There are many exciting resources and opportunities to share content online. Once you've refined your content, start plugging into the most resonant networks. With persistence and strategic posting, you will not only find a good home for your content, but help others get their voices out as well.

Shama Hyder is founder and CEO of the award-winning Marketing Zen Group, an integrated online marketing and digital PR firm. She is also an international speaker, bestselling author, and a regular media correspondent for major networks ranging from Fox Business to Bloomberg. Connect with Shama on Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.