Whenever a B2B client — or even a client focused on a very specific demographic as opposed to the general public at large — asks about social media, we explain to them that if you are willing to put the time and energy into it, social media can be extremely worthwhile. If you are not, however, don’t bother.

The same could be said for a blog, the first form of social media. If you intend to post in your blog with regularity and use it to help drive traffic to your website, inform visitors or provide a service to existing customers, by all means. But, the worst thing you can do is to start something and not finish.

In the world of websites, it is better to have nothing than outdated information. In other words, better to have no news than news from two years ago and nothing else.

Assuming you can meet that criteria for social media as well, here are some of the primary social media outlets, what they are for and how they might work for a B2B client.

Google+

In reality, you will need Google+ if you want to build any kind of a local listing in the Google search engine, so this is not only relevant, it’s necessary. Beyond that, there is little use for Google+ at the moment when it comes to reaching people. Very few actually using it for sharing information. But as a tool for solidifying your Google listing, this is a necessity.

Facebook

The most used social network in the world is also one of the most complicated to navigate for a business. Reaching “fans” on Facebook has become even more difficult now that Facebook restricts the things you share to only about one-tenth of feeds of those who like your page, making that as a usable marketing tool nearly worthless. There are still benefits to keeping your Facebook page updated, particularly for those looking for you. But, you’ll have to pay to increase the eyeballs that see your posts, so choose them wisely. One beneficial use of Facebook is as a repository for images, particularly from events. They often integrate seamlessly with website technology to create easy-to-maintain photo galleries.

LinkedIN

This business-centric social network is perhaps the most effective for businesses. It is a particularly useful tool when recruiting new employees and can be an excellent way to deliver information about your organization to other people in your industry and beyond. It doesn’t have the scope of some of the others, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as a viable option for B2B clients.

Twitter

Twitter is, above all else, a conversation. Sure, it’s a great way to get breaking news, but only because places like CNN or ESPN have huge follower lists. If your followers consist of just a handful of people and all your updates are just letting people know news about your company, Twitter is essentially worthless. To build a successful Twitter presence requires interacting with people on the social network in a real and personable way. If someone in your company has the right personality for it, Twitter can be beneficial. If not, it is probably best avoided.

YouTube

We strongly recommend using YouTube for publishing video content. It is the most well used and recognized video platform on the Internet. It’s easy to use and, more importantly, it is free. If you are going to have videos for your company, there is no better way to publish them. Plus, it makes embedding them on your website extremely easy.

Instagram/Vine

The photo and video sharing services can come be very helpful if you and your staff take a lot of photos. It is an interesting way to reach your clients and a recruiting tool to show how enjoyable a place your work environment can be. But, if your company is more on the conservative side, you’ll likely do more harm than good.

Tumblr

For those who don’t know about it, Tumblr is a site that allows the sharing of relatively small snippets of information or media. Think of it as somewhere in between a blog and Twitter; it provides a little more space than Twitter but isn’t meant to be used for long stories. Most businesses can satisfy these needs through content on the website and, as a result, Tumblr is not widely used in commercial enterprise.

Pinterest

Once a tool for saving recipes and sewing patterns, Pinterest has become a repository for a vast number of personally curated lists. It can come in handy for businesses if you want to provide links to various articles and information without having to create a page or a blog post on your website for those items. But, like any other social media network, it requires regular participation to remain relevant.

Blogging

A good blog can provide a wealth of information to your website visitors and clients. It can inform customers of offers or even provide them with information in case of an emergency. Through syndication, it provides an additional source of traffic to your website. But blogs require good content. Not just anyone should write them because they can and often will be scrutinized. If you or someone in your organization has a gift for writing, blogs can be an excellent way to pass along information and attract new visitors. But, being consistent in your posts and with the quality of your writing is key to success.