Josh Bernoff comments in this recent Groundswell blog post that social media is simply another communication channel. It sounds obvious, but his point is a good one: stop freaking people, social media is really just about communicating with others; sharing and connecting with folk! It's not THAT different to what we were all doing before. So why are people panicking? Well, he's right to suggest that it's the emphasis on conversational reciprocity of this communication channel that sends shivers down the spine of many a marketing person. That makes us all sounds like anti-social freaks though. But really what freaks people is just that it is new. Talk to customers, you say, but isn't that what our PR firm / customer services team is for?!

As Josh always says, what is key to successful engagement using social media is for brands to listen - and talk back - as corporate employees. Yes, you do work for this company, but yes, you are a human too aren't you? When conversing with people via social media as an employee it is, of course, important that you filter what are saying in the same way you would if you were at an event in the same capacity, but that doesn't mean that you have to be a robot.

Technology companies should be ahead of the game when it comes to social marketing because their customers will be, that much is clear, but their customers will also be the first to get annoyed if they ask for help or reach out and don't get a reply. So keep your ears peeled.

Social media has become part of many people's everyday lives: Facebook-ing friends when we’re supposed to be working; watching YouTube instead of Coronation Street; and Twitter-ing - if you’re not now, you soon will be - with people we’ve never even met. But what about social media as part of a corporate marketing strategy? Can companies be social in this sense?

The answer is yes, most definitely! Here are a few things to consider as you embark on your campaign...

Marketing managers need consider what they want to achieve with a social media strategy. If clear objectives aren't set the campaign will easily lose focus (like any good marketing campaign you will need to set out metrics to measure your success).

Next, think about your audience. Are they active in social media, even Internet literate? If not this doesn’t necessarily mean they never will be, but keep in mind the channels within social media that will be most appropriate. You should not rule any demographic out. If you are certain that your end customers aren’t active within social media now and never will be, consider communicating with their key influencers: children, friends, and colleagues.

Now consider that well-known brands are often perceived as monolithic, impenetrable presences: a ‘thing’ rather than a ‘them’. With social media comes an opportunity for brands to communicate with customers on a more personal level, literally human to human. The human face of a brand is its employees, and it is important that brands empower (and trust) their employees to represent them online. Forrester Analyst Josh Bernhoff asserts that brands are wasting their time if they are not prepared to let their employees, rather than the brand, do the talking:

“Your customers and your prospects are connecting and talking about your products and your company right now... You need to be part of this conversation... You might start a blog... a Facebook group... But until you start connecting as a corporate employee, you won’t understand what is going on out there.”

Another way of putting it is: companies don’t blog, people do. It is difficult for brands to move away from wanting to control all corporate communication with the utmost diligence. But social media is about the moment; brevity is its defining feature. Status updates are changed hourly, blogs are hurriedly published with typos, comments left breathlessly without hesitation - the next day yesterday’s activity is on page 7, no longer important. In short, there simply isn't time for all comms to go through the usual sign off channels - so try and loosen the reins a little.

Authenticity is a key concept to be mindful of when it comes to brand engagement with your customers within the social media environment. People don’t want to hear ‘risk-avoidant lingoism’ (as one commenter recently put it), but instead real opinions and helpful advice from the experts, the employees! Be careful to keep alive the inherent spirit of authenticity and informality, or else your efforts will be less successful.

Lastly, remember that participation isn’t limited to ‘speaking’. Josh Bernhoff cites four other ways for companies to get involved with the conversations happening in social media: listening (finding out what your customers are really saying); energising (getting your best customers to evangelise your products); supporting (helping customers solve their own and each other's problems); and finally, embracing (working with your customers to make products better).