As you continue to adapt and evolve your marketing strategies you need to take a long look at how social media can help you further your efforts.

I am not going to bore you with a long-winded explanation of the concept of social media. A simple google search will reveal a number of websites which attempt to define, and debate, exactly what constitutes social media.

For the sake of simplicity and in keeping with the premise of the “Marketing Minute” let’s think of social media as (to borrow a fragment from Robert Scoble) “conversations” and building and maintaining relationships.

On an indivdual, personal, level social media is being used to reconnect, and stay connected, with friends, co-workers and colleagues. Community sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Brightkite people are using social media to establish, re-establish and strengthen relationships on a number of levels.

A growing number of individuals are also utilizing social media as a business networking tool via LinkedIn, Facebook and others. From staying connected to industry cohorts, to actually creating connections for jobs, the Chamber of Commerce “After Hours” networking sessions have been taken online.

More important to this conversation is the use of social media as a business communication and branding tool.

Social media allows you to create and maintain connections while providing an opportunity for those outside the company to see “behind the scenes”.

A successful social media component, a part of this complete breakfast..and a part of your overall marketing strategy can help create brand awareness and establish brand loyalty and more importantly allow you to learn more about those that are using your products and services.

It is of utmost importance that you:

1. Are open and forthright in your social media endeavors. Authenticity, transparency…whatever terminology you choose just remember that people have grown tired of standard marketing pitches. If you stand up with your megaphone and send out “traditional” marketing messages…you will be booed of the stage.

2. Actually listen to what people are saying! This is will be one of the hardest habits to break for those cut from the traditional mold.

Some babysteps to get your company social media strategy off the ground….

First, join the conversation. Create profiles in some of the more popular social networks and social sites including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. There are a growing number of sites that will become a part of your social profiles, they will become evident as you begin participating across the variety of sites and networks.

After you create your profiles spend time observing. Observe interaction, conventions and pay attention to the “unwritten rules”.

When you begin to participate keep things simple and be careful to avoid being confrontational and pushing hot buttons like religion, politics and the like. Remember that what you say can and sometimes will be held against you! The backlash from offending your audience, can be very, very difficult to overcome.

Use these sites and networks as tools to help tell your company story. Share pictures and video and tweet about the things that you are doing in the course of the day. What you find mundane, others may find of interest. As an aside….people don’t want to be inundated with your daily goings on….”Picking up the mail”, “Making lunch” etc. aren’t exactly of interest.

Some large companies are using social media, Twitter specifically, as a Customer Service channel and Online Reputation Monitoring (ORM) tool, monitoring the conversations about their brands and quickly swooping in to help with, or at least acknowledge, the issues.

Take for example a search of Twitter, using modifiers, to see what people are saying about a topic, a brand or an event. In this example of a Twitter search, you can see recent tweets about Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. This type of search could provide an opportunity to acknowledge and rectify any issues, or to also find brand evangelists and supports to reach out to and add to your network. Another simple example of this can be seen by running a search of blog engine Technorati.

Social media and Online Reputation Management are components, should be…or will be components, or your overall company strategy. This blog post doesn’t even scratch the surface of either, but if you wish to continue to compete in your field, you need to be aware of emerging tools and tactics which are quickly re-shaping the ways in which companies market themselves.