Firms looking to increase online status through social media websites need to be aware of what they wish to achieve, it has been revealed.

Writing on Search Engine Land, Cameron Olthuis claims there are several benefits to marketing via social media.

He suggests that the likes of MySpace and YouTube can particularly help small companies to increase brand awareness and drive user participation on websites.

"It doesn't matter if you have a new brand or one that is well established, using social media can help build or strengthen it."

Meanwhile, Mr Olthuis claimed using social news sites such as Reddit to spread content can effectively produce "hundreds or thousands of new inbound links" for marketers as bloggers look to create links to stories which are ranked favourably.

Although he reported that generating direct sales via the social medium may be challenging "as part of the reason people engage [with these websites] is because there's more there than just a selling message", by displaying products through a "creative and compelling way" companies should be able to attract users.

He added: "As we see more participation in different ways, the landscape will pose even more opportunity for marketing."

Last week, Matt McGee wrote on Search Engine Land that by investing in the right type of social media websites, firms will be able to "come up with something that's unique and linkworthy".