With more than 175 million Twitter users and 750 million people using Facebook, according to the organizations' respective websites, businesses are making more of an effort to reach out to their clientele through social media.

It may seem like an obvious tactic – publicizing on a large social network – but some companies don't possess the appropriate strategy. However, there are numerous avenues to gain insight to effective social network approaches.

A study distributed by The New York Times, "The Psychology of Sharing," reveals four unique social media strategies that have worked best for hundreds of businesses across the United States.

Overall, the strategies simply indicate a company's comfort and experience with social media – not that a business will remain static if it employs one specific strategy.

If a company wishes to integrate its marketing strategy with social media, it should develop a plan instead of diving headfirst. By studying the social media strategies of established businesses, a company can assure itself to be a Social Media Champion, instead of a Predictive Practitioner.