At present we have a situation where social networking sites are increasingly responsible for directing web traffic to different websites. This is occurring primarily through Facebook and Twitter and it is happening at the expense of the search engines. Google is no longer the first point of call for a large proportion of internet users.

With this in mind, it makes sense to try and market your site through social media. But before you get carried away, stop and think whether it can really do anything for your site. Not every site lends itself to a Facebook or Twitter presence and unless you are very smart or very lucky, you may see little reward for your efforts.

If you sell products to a recognisable community, social media is for you. If you sell clothing or desirable high-end products, there is doubtless a particular subculture attached to your wares – perhaps even one that partly defines itself through its adoption of your offerings. If you offer a more functional, universally required service (e.g. plumbers, electricians) or a rather faceless product (pressure sensors, bags of cement) then however hard you try, you will never build up a social media following that will justify your efforts. The people simply aren’t there.