There are so many social media accounts available now, all competing for your attention. But is it vital that you are involved in all of them?

The real trick is to know which types of sites will be of benefit to your own niche and suit your website.

So first of all here is a summary of the main sites and how (I think) they suit different types of websites.

Different Social Media Sites

It is useful to say maybe at this point that all social media sites seem to do better with an image, but some sites really need images.

• Pinterest - this site is great for niches that can produce products with good or original images (traditionally attracted a lot of female viewers) and is good for lifestyle niches. It doesn't always convert well but can gain followers and you can break down your niche into different pin boards. - Note you need an image in your post in order to be able to share content to this site.

• Facebook - is also known to do better with an image. There is the advantage that you can buy ads, and it is good for local businesses especially, but affiliate marketing websites do use it. You probably need to be quite dedicated to make this work for you.

• Twitter - this is an easy way to disseminate and promote content. Doesn't necessarily convert well but it is a way to gain authority and brand recognition. You need to be tweeting regularly cos the feed is fast moving and people can easily miss your content. Images with tweets stand out more.

• LinkedIn - is a slower paced media for people who enjoy blogging. You can write your own shorter blogs and link to articles. Useful if you are promoting yourself, as people will want to see your profile and background.

• Google+ - Like it or loathe it, it does belong to Google and is possibly a way to get noticed by the search engine. Again look at setting up your own collections as well as posting on specific niche related communities.

• Flipboard - All the rage on WA at the moment, useful if you have lifestyle products to sell as it seems to attract visual buyers. For services it is probably a harder site to gain flips from but it a useful way to set up magazines and show case your posts more easily.

• Instagram - a great original content visual site, can upload short videos and photos related to your niche. Suits sites that are producing their own photos regularly.

• YouTube - for sharing video content and uploading your own creations. Useful if you are a regular producer of content but also useful for discovering video content you can use on your own site.

So although there are other social media sites (possibly), these cover the main ones and any additional ones you might be using will be managed in the same way.

So how do you keep on top of all of them? ...............