In small business marketing we harp a lot on individuality, standing out from the pack, finding your niche, being unique. While this philosophy holds true, it is equally important to take a look at other success stories and to learn from them.

Modelling your business after one that has had success is always recommended, especially when it comes to navigating social media madness.

Whatever your feelings on social media - one thing is undeniable. It has changed the way we connect with and engage with customers. Like it or not, it is a most valuable tool when it comes to niche marketing and customer acquisition.

The following are strategies employed successfully by other small businesses that could be worth implementing.

Differentiate the personal from the professional. Chances are you have both personal social media sites and those for your business.

These two can have minimal overlap, but remind yourself of the purpose of your professional sites - do the goals align with, say, liking photos of family reunions?

Unless your business is photographing reunions, then probably not. Establish clear goals for your professional site and refrain from having Grandma post on your page every day!

Make your site a resource to other crafted and interesting content. The more you can provide to your visitor, the better. Likes have to be earned these days, and you have to offer information and share expertise in order to garner return visitors.

A huge rookie mistake is photos. Photos must be taken by a professional or with a professional grade camera. Snapping iPhone pictures can be a great way to be in the moment and relatable. If you have to do it, utilise the editing tools provided and crop, cut, centre. Also, if it does not relate to your brand or mission - do not post it. Simple - be picky.

Lastly, incorporate social proof. This is the concept of 'proving' to customers that you are legit and professional, through recognisable connections.

If you have Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and Vine, you should have all those logos clearly displayed on your website, 'proving' your social media worth. This creates a bond with the user, familiarity is a powerful tool when dealing with the internet.