It seems like the topic of building an online presence has been covered pretty well on the internet. Various blogs teach you how to create beautiful Twitter backgrounds or how to convince random people to "like" you on Facebook.

But what's the point of all this? Is there any real value? And if there is, how to get the most out of it, and use various social networks and other websites properly? The following list presents 6 places where you can build your presence, and 6 possible angles you can take. Each of these places has a different purpose and each can help you to reach out to your audience in a unique way.

Also, don't forget to spend some time on creating a website - your own website, that is. Some people still try to do business without owning a website, but obviously this isn't the most effective approach.

1. Twitter and being real

Yes, I know, obvious, but bear with me. This isn't just another generic Twitter advice.

In my opinion, having a presence on Twitter is not about beautiful backgrounds, millions of followers, or re-tweeting hundreds of links every day.

Twitter should show your audience that you are a real person. Even if you represent a business, you should still be present on Twitter as a person.

My advice is this: Treat Twitter like a place where you can talk to another human being who's your friend. Share things you would share with a friend, speak in a way you'd speak to a friend, and respond to what other people are asking you in the same way.

For instance, you wouldn't blast a friend with 50 links every day ... so don't do it on Twitter either. Be real.

2. Guest posts and showing professional expertise

Guest blogging is nothing new in the online world (well, you're reading a guest post right now). However, the reasons why various people submit guest posts differ a lot.

Some do it for link building, some for traffic. But what I advise to do here is to write guest posts as a way of building your brand and showing your professional expertise.

So what does this mean, right? Whenever you stumble upon an interesting blog and you get the idea to guest post there, try to find a topic that would be both in tune with the blog, and also enable you to showcase your ideas and knowledge.

If what I'm saying is obvious to you, great! Just don't be like some people who still have quite a "wholesale" approach at guest blogging as they produce tens of simple list posts every day, just so they can send them out and get a backlink, with no goal of building a brand whatsoever.

3. YouTube and sharing advice

YouTube is the perfect place to share some solid advice with your audience and educate them on certain things.

What's great about YouTube is that apart from the main possibility of submitting a video, you can't really do anything else. This puts everyone in the same situation, so the only way to get noticed is by sharing good content.

Start by writing a couple of scripts for possible videos you can create regarding lively issues in your niche. Once you finally shoot those videos and upload them to YouTube, you'll have a good additional resource and asset in your business's online presence.

4. LinkedIn and showing your professional face

LinkedIn is the place to go for everyone who wants to display themselves professionally.

The main idea is simple. You create a profile, put some stuff in it, and voila, people start contacting you about new opportunities ... at least in theory.

LinkedIn indeed is a powerful tool, but you'll need a while to get a grasp of it. It is time well spent, though.

What I advise to do is to use LinkedIn as your professional business card. In your profile, mention only the things someone could find useful when contacting you for the first time about some business opportunities.

You don't have to (and shouldn't) list any irrelevant info or things that are simply not important anymore, or outdated. For instance, no one cares that 7 years ago you were an employee of X.

5. Facebook and connecting with the community

Yet another place that's not about spamming or sending hundreds of links. These days, Facebook is THE place where people spend their time online. They don't care about your marketing messages or any other promotions. They care about connecting with their friends.

That's why you shouldn't make it hard for them. Instead, try to reach out to your fans in a way that actually makes sense. Ask for an opinion, share a quick advice about something along with a short question, mention an event that's taking place right now.

My advice: Treat Facebook like a big classroom where you sit among other students. Share only things you'd be confident sharing in person if you were in one room with these people.

6. Flickr and everyday life + events

In the recent years, Flickr has lost some of its popularity, but I believe it still is a great place where you can connect with your audience.

Here's my approach. Whenever you're attending an event (like a conference or something) and take some photos, upload these photos to your Flickr. Include some additional comments and descriptions too.

Then put links to this gallery on your main website. This way you're showing that you're an active member of the community and that you're up-to-date with everything that's going on.

Also, you can use Flickr to share some everyday situations from your business. For instance, one photo from a meeting with your staff, or a photo of your computer screen when you're working on a new piece of content.

Such things make you seem more real. And as we know, people like to do business with real people, not with businesses (contrary to common belief).

That's it for now, but what do you think about this approach at having a proper online presence? Do you have any insights you'd like to share?

About the author: 
Karol K. is a freelance writer and blogger. If you want to learn the ins and outs of creating a website, feel free to hit him up on Twitter (@carlosinho).).