Social media has truly revolutionized the world of marketing. With advances in technology, namely, the advent of the Internet, the marketing paradigm has seen a shift to where now, one the most effective ways to generate awareness is leveraging social media. Unlike traditional marketing channels, the startup costs to leveraging the social media platform are extremely low and in many instances, free. However, the reach of social media is astronomical. Just ask the video blogger who has gained national notoriety through a YouTube channel or the millionaire whose net worth was built off videos posted through the same channel, the return on investment when leveraging social media is nothing short of astonishing. Social Media is a powerful marketing tool and the potential results may be life altering. Yet in still, most people do not experience the fullness of what social media has to offer. In order to optimize results for this platform - having a strategy is a must. A strategy is a plan of action, one that consists of goals and objectives, outlining exactly what outcome one is seeking in leveraging a social media channel. There must be a brand voice, and that voice needs to connect and engage with a target audience that is strategically selected to help move marketing goals into successes. Having an intimate knowledge of the widely used social media platforms and selecting ones that will have the most impact in connecting with the target audience is required. Time spent developing engaging content lies as one of the cornerstones of an effective social media strategy. Finally, continuously reviewing and refreshing this plan to ensure it continues to align with goals; these all play a factor in developing an effective strategy that would enable an individual to get the very most out of social media. Creating a powerful strategy is not impossible to do. It takes research, time, dedication and perseverance to see results. Social media holds more than enough potential to allow an individual to shake up any market and take the world by storm - a person needs to be able to unlock the marketing power of social media by familiarizing oneself with the steps necessary to develop an effective social media strategy.