MCLEAN, VA - USA Today reports that the Smashburger chain has become a hit, growing from three Denver locations in 2007 to 150 outposts nationwide. The burgers with their unique toppings have obviously helped boost Smashburger??s success, but the "secret sauce" is actually the use of social media.

The newspaper writes that Smashburger "offers coupons and trivia contests for its 67,000 Facebook followers, replies to questions and complaints on its Twitter and Facebook profiles, and actively reaches out to bloggers" to cover new restaurant openings.

"The brand was really built on social media and PR strategies," Jeremy Morgan, senior vice president of marketing and consumer insights at Smashburger told the newspaper, adding, "Social media is an opportunity for us to engage with consumers and have a conversation, which is different than paid media, when you??re just shouting through a bullhorn."

Marketing experts say that even the smallest of companies can wield the power of social media to boost brand awareness and loyal followers.

"Everybody should take a look at it," Dan Galbraith, owner of marketing support company Solutionist, told the newspaper. "Whether they chose to jump into social media or not is a question that only they can answer," he added, but all firms should at least explore how social media could work for them.

Meanwhile, businesses should also be prepared to put the time forth to ensure that their social media sites are maximizing their effectiveness and consumer engagement.

"The common misconception about social media is that it??s free," Morgan noted. "Facebook and Twitter accounts are free, but for small-business owners in particular, time comes at a premium."

Galbraith suggests that to keep businesses from feeling overloaded with their social media outreach, they should consider the time investment and possibly hiring a social media expert or outsource their efforts.

Consistency to your social media messaging is also key. Sabina Ptacin, co-founder of ??Preneur, which provides tools and resources for small businesses, told the newspaper that business owners should at first take baby steps and feel out what they can accomplish with their current resources.

And if nobody responds, don??t sweat it. "It doesn??t mean that no one likes you, or you??re bad at Twitter," Ptacin told the newspaper, adding that if the questions are authentic and interesting, they will eventually get replies.

And no matter what, don??t aggressively push a product or service, according to Ptacin, because it could "scare away" potential followers.

"I always tell people to pretend that they??re at a party and (act) how they would behave," Ptacin added. "No one wants to talk to the person who is always talking about themselves??They want you to ask them questions and engage in conversations."