Starting a social marketing campaign can be a daunting task for a small business owner not used to online marketing. When done the right way, social marketing can do wonders for a small business, start-up or entrepreneur trying to build buzz on a shoestring budget. Here are eight things to keep in mind and help you get started:

1) Understand that it’s not all about you. It’s important to get your information on bookmarking web sites like Digg, Stumbleupon, Reddit and BizSugar, but don’t appear like you’re a spammer. Be sure to promote other blog posts, not just your own.

2) Have an informational blog site where you can drive traffic back to from these bookmarking sites. A blog is best for social marketing because it fosters a sense of community where people can share information with each other. A traditional Web site is best served for straight e-commerce purposes.

3) Network with other bloggers and link to other blogs. Research other blogs that are interesting and get to know the people behind the blogs. Also be sure to embark on a link-sharing campaign where you link to others’ blogs and ask them to link back to yours. This can be great for search engine optimization (SEO) and will elevate your search engine rankings.

Tip: Leave comments on other peoples’ blogs. This is a great way to build some goodwill with other bloggers and it’s also a great quick way to build back links into your blog.

4) Join in and become a larger part of your industry on the Web. If you sell accounting services, get to know lots of other leaders in the accounting world, for example. Be known throughout your industry. This is how you become well-respected inside your own circles. The social marketing value add here is about you being known in your community. When this happens and you share information (either from others or your own blog) people will listen up.

5) Always be testing. Try new things and see if the results are positive. Don’t be afraid to try things just for the sake of seeing how your audience responds. Try different social marketing campaigns with Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc. Get to know all of these sites and jump in the pool. Try different things. You’re a busy person so it will be difficult for you to spend time each day nurturing all of them, so figure out which ones bring the best return and work them each day.

6) Don’t completely drop your other PR or marketing campaigns and projects. Social marketing is an extension of all other marketing out there. Think of the world of marketing as a big wheel, with the different spokes comprising things like PR, online marketing, direct mail, loyalty programs, and social marketing. Integration is always the best approach. Think of a way to tie together email marketing with social marketing. You’ll be amazed at the results.

7) Be a social marketer off line, too. Go to lots of tweetups or other in-person networking events so you can grow your network and share your blog with even more people. Social networking is obviously all about the web, but don’t forget about the real world with human interaction, either.

Commit to doing it. Find time each day to work on your social marketing. It doesn’t matter whether you do this first thing in the morning, during your lunch break or even if it’s the last thing you do before you go to bed. But make sure you spend a little time each day marketing your online presence. Remember, repetition is a big part of the game here.

What other advice do you have to help a small business owner become a master social marketer?