There is no doubt that many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon and using social media to reach out to existing customers and to bring new business in the door these days. After all, it's free advertising so what could it hurt, right?

While you might be tempted to just go and create a Facebook Fan Page or a Twitter account and get to work building a fan base, you should try to do some planning before hand. While many companies have found that social media is a great way to keep in touch with their clients and also attract new customers, a poorly designed or managed social media account might just do more damage than good.

Just think of what kind of impression a poorly designed website would send to your existing customers and those who might find your website. A shoddy website with outdated content or that looks unprofessional would tell your clients that your company is second rate or struggling financially. Likewise, a poorly put together social media account or an account that does not engage your viewer is worse than having no social media account at all.

On the up side, a well designed social media account with an engaging template that is visually appealing and which has all the information that a prospective or existing client might be looking for is a great asset to have on the internet for your business. A well maintained social media account that provides helpful information related to your business that can engage your reader is a piece of internet real estate that can often replace traditional print advertising.

Just think about it for a moment. If your business regularly does print advertising and offers specials or coupons to help boost sales during the slow times of the year, a social media account could replace that costly part of your advertising budget. For zero cost you could be getting your message in front of highly targeted customers that will love your business, appreciate the free information that you have given them and feel obligated to give you their business and their friend's business if you know how to treat them. And a social media account is an excellent way to keep in touch and build that relationship with your clients no matter what your business is.

So, can social media help your business? Absolutely, it can! But keep in mind that it is not as simple as throwing up a fan page or creating a Twitter account. It takes some skill and some thought to build that relationship with your customers and to portray the kind of image that you are looking for.