Well it certainly isn't to begin submitting your own content like it's going out of fashion. No matter how interesting your website is, or whether the scintillating wit you demonstrate in all your blogposts is truly worthy of this newfound audience, your first step should be to bide your time. Don't worry, it'll come.
Take a breather and get to know the community. Submit stuff from other people's websites that you think will have interest to the users of the social media site you're participating in. If there's commenting or reviewing available, get involved that way too. Make yourself visible. And most importantly of all, begin to make friends.
This is the singularly most important factor of social networking. The part where the 'social' couples with the 'media'. With these types of website it is through friends that your authority is built.
So as a starting point it is best to look for people with similar interests to your own. They will be more willing to accept your 'friending' offers than someone with absolutely nothing in common. If you successfully find and 'friend' somebody whose particular niche is the same as yours, this will invariably be the stepping stone upon which other friendships will be made.
That's how it works. Getting involved and making friends.
But one caveat to that is not to spread yourself too thinly. Don't just follow or attempt to 'friend' every man and his uncle. This is where a lot of people fall down or come unstuck in the world of social media.
Take Twitter, for instance. You'll see profiles there of people following upwards of a 1000 or more people with the numbers of reciprocal follows barely stretching into double figures. Employing such a tactic can only be detrimental to your own efforts at building friendships. If from the outset you're determined to collect 'friends' like one would stamps then you may as well give up and try something else.
Social media is about interaction. 'Social interaction' with others of similar tastes. One sure way of marking yourself as only being along for the ride, or solely in it for your own agenda, is by a lack of interaction.
And this is the next crucial step once you've made a few friends. Engage them in conversation. Interact and become a part of the community. The more you contribute, the higher your profile becomes and as a result of this you will find requests coming in from people wishing to 'friend' you.
Nick James is a copywriter and search engine optimser from the UK. You can find out more about blogging, copywriting and the affordable SEO services that Essence SEO UK offer, on their website