Too many small businesses aim for quantity likes, follows and shares on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Google+ and Pinterest. Targeted followers, fewer in number, will produce more conversions and better rankings with the search engines.

Never forget that the goal of social media marketing is to sell more of your products and services. You don't need a big marketing budget to get quality followers. Three things are important. Do them and even a small business can have a big social presence online.

Devote regular time to it

Even five to fifteen minutes a day, as long as it's done regularly, will give you a reliable presence online. Tweeters, fans and other members of your networks look for dependability. They want to see your offers, get updates and know you're active online on a consistent basis. If you are, they will seek you out and read your messages. You become part of their online routine, a member of their network.

It's easy for a busy small business owner or online marketer to realize he has neglected his social groups. The result is often massive social media campaigns once every month or two. A lot of work can go into these, and most of it is wasted. Out of sight, out of mind. Your pins, tweets and posts simply get ignored or deleted.

Share quality information

Give them useful, informative, entertaining content. They will share it with their circles, expanding your reach exponentially.

It keeps them wanting more. This is important in an online universe that has passed well beyond the stage of overwhelm. According to a Canadian social metric analytics firm, more than seven out of ten tweets are ignored. The same happens to posts on other social media sites.

Make it interesting and you'll get noticed.

Make it easy

Social media experts suggest the next four steps to make it simple for people to follow you.

First, ask your customers, vendors, newsletter readers, website regulars and business associates to follow you on the main social media sites. And follow them back. These are quality followers who are part of your targeted audience.

Second, make it easy for them to follow you. Put share, like and follow buttons prominently on web pages, by your blog posts, on your contact page.

Include links in your signature lines in email and on forums. Add them to newsletters, direct mail pieces, brochures and business cards.

Third, promote your Facebook posts on Twitter, your Tweets on Facebook, posts in your Google+ circles and images from your blog on Pinterest. Use any way available to cross-promote your information. This helps people find you.

Fourth, never forget to include your call to action. Don’t be shy about asking for follows, for likes, for retweets. Give them a chance to act and they will respond.

Every business needs to use social media to get known in the noise of online life. Planned, routine use of a few simple social media skills will get make your message stand out, getting it read and shared.