Get Free Marketing, Publicity in Down Market

Once you've got the hang of social media, join other sites like Tumblr, Digg and DailyHub. Blog away about that new best customer-service award your business just won from the local Chamber of Commerce. Upload before-and-after videos of haircuts your salon can do.

Chat first, pitch later: It's like any cocktail party: Before you toot your own horn, break the ice by doing some chitchatting. That means after setting up your profile, surf around to see who's writing about your industry and introduce yourself as a potential source or expert who can be relied upon. "People have to like you, want to know you, then they'll trust you and be willing to pay you," says Joel Comm, a social media expert and author of "Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time" (Wiley).

More importantly, it is a direct line to your customers. So handle questions and complaints as quickly as possible. And be real, says Leland Harden, co-author of "Digital Engagement" (AMACOM). "Don't go out there and use corporate speak or think purely business," he says. "Engage your customer. They will carry on the conversation if you talk to them like a normal person and participate in these communities as a normal person."

After all, word of mouth is still the best form of publicity. And thanks to social media, you can leverage your loyal "fans." "The idea is to mobilize those brand evangelists so you get this nuclear effect and they tell their friends," says Heyman, who is also co-author of "Digital Engagement."