Social media has become a catch-phrase for all things digital, at least a far as many companies are concerned.  It's the new hot thing in marketing and word of mouth, and marketers are rushing to "get me some of that."  Twitter, blogging and Facebook have become the poster children of social media efforts, which isn't a bad thing as long as the strategic approach is well thought out, focused and executed properly. 

To continue using favorite clichés, this isn't to say social media is a flash in the pan.  It's simply another tool in the tool box, but one that is proving to be very useful, especially in driving word of mouth.  But not all social media is created equal, and not every program should embed social media.  In consultant terms, it really depends.

One of the keys to successful social media for companies is to avoid being creepy.  This can take all kinds of forms, from creepy treehouses (as Ryan Rasmussen likes to say; ask him what it means), to the equivalent of walking up to someone and talking at them (uninvited and irrelevant conversations) to stalking.  Liz Strauss' post on Extreme Twitter Personalities is definitely worth a read. 

Some have argued that social media is no place for companies.  I disagree with that, but I also recognize that there is a "right" way to go about it without incurring the wrath of the People.  I really like what Mack Collier had to say about it too:  basically, nobody gets it right on the first try. 

On the other hand, social media mavens have to give companies a bit of a break. I mean, we have all committed a faux paux or three, and without companies social media would not evolve as rapidly nor as interestingly.  It's all in how it is approached.