A list of the Top 30 Women in Social Media was compiled by Social Apps HQ and released July 22, 2013. Among those mentioned is Pat Marcello of MagnaSites.com and TheSEONewsBlog.com..Pat Marcello

“How wonderful to be in the company of such strong and very smart women!” she said. Also included in the list: Mari Smith, Carrie Wilkerson, Christie Wells and Pam Dyer. (See the full list here: http://blog.socialappshq.com/2013/07/22/top-30-women-in-social-media-2013/)

How does this happen? According to Marcello, it’s by being part of the Web. “That is the most important thing you can do for your business today. It’s all about providing the best possible content in everywhere you frequent.”

That will be the start of a press release, as I’m honored and think it’s something totally buzzworthy. So, how did it happen? Not sure what the criteria were, but I can guess — engagement.

Personally, I concentrate on Facebook when I can. I have a presence in Twitter, Google + and a few other sites like Quora, for example. But when I write for these places, I give it the best I have to offer.

Believe it or not, it also affects how search engines see you these days. Are you making valuable contributions or just adding more junk? Nobody likes junk.

You don’t necessarily have to create the content yourself, not all the time, anyway. Think of yourself as a “curator.”  Find the best things — informative, funny, or interesting — and add those to your social accounts. Give your friends something to talk about.

Plus, though it feels a LOT like wasting time, it’s totally not. Search engines want you to be important to the Internet, and there’s no better way to get yourself known than by making friends and giving them cool stuff.

I spend some one-on-one time with a few friends, too. None of them abuse my time, and I enjoy helping people when I can. It’s what I do. But the more people you help, the more it comes back to you, too. It’s really pretty awesome.

Anyway, do NOT overlook social media. Without some attention to it, you’ll be just another one of the bazillions out there that nobody listens to. You need to create an audience. It really is important.

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