If you're planning on using social media marketing, you're probably wanting to make sure both the time and money you spend are effective.

Photo credits: Dell Inc.

Guest Post by John Johnson: The good news – for you – is that with our seven specific tips below you're going to be able to get more out of all your social media campaigns. Sometimes in life it's better to work smarter rather than try to work harder.

Seven Tips for Social Media Marketers

Here's a look at seven actionable items that social media marketers can take to increase the effectiveness of campaigns run online.

1. Be Specific – One of the biggest problem social media marketers have is not being specific. For example, rather than talking about a large niche, narrow it down so you're talking about one aspect of that topic. So, talk about the Browns and not just football.

2. Be Entertaining – In addition to narrowing down your focus, you also want to make sure you're entertaining. With so many advertisements and marketing messages online, being funny can be a way to stand out from the crowd.

3. Be Useful – You'll also want to offer useful information – especially on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. A lot of marketers will throw any type of content out there to see if it sticks, but it's a better idea to give people things they can actually use.

4. Be Real – Another problem that faces a lot of marketers working with social media is the fact that they're blatantly not real. This means being honest about your pros and cons and not just talking about the good.

5. Be Consistent – If you're funny one day and serious the next, you're going to have a hard time picking up a social media following. Instead, try to make sure you're consistent with your message and when you post.

6. Be Frugal – While you're going to need to spend money, make sure you don't spend too much. When you're worried about every dollar you spend, you're going to be able to get them to go further. Shop around before you decide where to spend your marketing dollars.

7. Be Honest – One of the most important things to do is to be honest at all times. This is difficult for some marketers, but if you're honest with consumers, they're going to trust you more which is valuable in the long term.

If you can follow even some of the seven pieces of advice above, you're going to find that you're able to do more – no matter the size of your budget.

Have some social media marketing tips by social media bloggers that you swear by? Be sure to write a comment in the box below and let us know what you do to get the most out of social networks online.