Whether your company sells software to consumers or businesses, having a social media presence is essential. In today's Internet-driven world, any business that wants to be noticed and taken seriously must take advantage of every available online opportunity. It's even more critical if your company sells technology-related products.

1. Focus on one or two platforms

You must create a social media strategy, which includes selecting the best platforms for your business. Although you may eventually have the time and resources to maintain a presence on all of the social networks available to you, it is best to start with one or two.

Although the platforms you choose will be determined by your company and target audience, Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular options. After you've decided on them, take some time to develop guidelines for the tone and style of your posts. Will you remain solemn and professional? Will you give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at your business? Will you respond to customers in a casual manner?

2. Add tutorials and videos

How does your software stack up against other kinds of software on the market? You know the answer to that question, but do your social media followers?

A short tutorial video may be all that is required to entice your followers to visit a specific landing page for more information. Keep in mind that the text accompanying your video should be strong and include a call to action.

3. Invite your satisfied software users to add reviews

Other users can leave reviews on Facebook business pages. While the lack of control over them may be intimidating, you can improve your rating by simply asking satisfied customers to rate your company.

The caveat here is to never be overly pushy or use bribery. Facebook (as well as many other sites that allow reviews) has strict guidelines against this. Furthermore, it may make your customers uncomfortable, increasing the likelihood of negative reviews.

4. Consider paid advertising options

Although you do not have to pay to use social media channels, most of them have paid advertising options that are extremely effective for gaining followers and engagement. You can target users based on their interests on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and you can target based on industry and job title on LinkedIn. This means you can be as specific as you want when it comes to who you advertise to.

5. Include buttons on your site

Building a solid follower base can be difficult, and you don't want to irritate your customers. Instead of constantly bringing it up, include buttons for all of your social channels on your website. This way, site visitors can choose whether or not to check out your social accounts.

6. Engage with your followers

Have you ignored your followers? It's time to start a back-and-forth conversation. When someone comments or leaves a review on one of your posts, thank them in the comments section. This only takes a few seconds, but it can go a long way towards showing that person that you genuinely value their feedback.