Social media—it’s where we keep in touch with our friends and, because so many of our friends participate in social media, it’s also a great place to promote our business. However, advertising on social networking sites is very different than old school advertising. It’s not a one shot deal; it needs consistent updating to keep your campaign fresh and relevant. A good social media campaign should also be visually dynamic in order to keep followers engaged and intrigued. Luckily, there are literally thousands of gadgets on the market today to help you add some visuals to your sites. Here are a few you should have in your arsenal.

A digital camera is something you probably already own and it’s an essential device for your social media efforts. After all, you wouldn’t spend much time on a Facebook page without photos, right? Having pictures of your staff on your social networking sites can put a human face on your company and can help your customers feel more comfortable asking questions, opening up a face-to-face like interaction online. Additionally, use your camera to take pictures of company functions, conferences, events that you sponsor, etc., and post them on your social media sites to give customers more insight into how your company works.

Video is a great way to showcase your business online, and digital video recorders, like a Flip Video are relatively inexpensive and plug right into your computer for easy uploading. In the same vein, iPhones, Blackberries, and other smartphones can record short videos that can be posted instantly to your Youtube page and then to your Facebook and Twitter feeds. Educational videos that explain how to use your products or how your company operates are great conversation starters online.

If you’re a CEO on the go and want to keep up with your social media efforts on the road, the iPad might be the solution for you. We know some folks (ahem, in our office) who love the iPad. It’s portable, intuitive and allows for more screen visibility than the iPhone, which makes viewing and posting to your social media sites much easier. The latest version also has two cameras, allowing you to take still photos as well as HD video! Yeah, we think it’s pretty cool.

SlideShare, while not a gadget, per se, is a great place to host documents and presentations that you can then post to your other social media sites. If you’ve ever had to do a PowerPoint presentation for a speaking engagement or conference, this is a great place to store that info online for your customers to see!

In essence, make your social media sites as engaging as possible for your customers. Keep them informed and give them some visual insight into your business and you’re well on your way to a successful social media campaign.