HUGE mistake #2 ~ Following and Friending everyone.
What would be better ~ Standing in the middle of this crowd and shouting your message or being in a more private room and talking with a few interested people?
What would be better? Having a really large number of people in your friend/fan base that do not care about your business, or having a small number of targeted people that want your services, like your products, or are genuinely a fan of yours? The smaller number of people are going to be way more responsive to your message than the large number that simply do not care.
How do you find targeted followers and friends online?
The trick is to look for people that are looking for your services or products. For example, I have a client that created a product that all Acupuncturists need to be using in their practices. The most responsive people he could have following him are Acupuncturists. Finding them is easy if you use the tools provided.
Most Social Media sites have a built in search feature. Use the search for your keywords that would target people that you need following you. Twitter not only has its own search, but there are many other sites that will help you to find the exact people you are looking for. My favorite site for this is Twellow. Twellow allows you to search by any keyword, or location. It even allows you to follow someone right from the application instead of going to Twitter. It is easy to use and a time saver.
In the beginning you need to be actively looking for the right people and strike up a conversation with them. Follow or friend them and they will likely return the favor. Post information that your target audience wants to read or learn. Provide the content they are looking for and build up your relationship and trust with them. When they are ready to buy they will come to you.
I meet people all the time that tell me that it seems like they already know me form my online social media accounts. They already know what I do, things I like, and that I will provide them with the answer they need. Trust is no longer an issue with these people ~ now it is simple ~ do I have the product or service they are looking for?
