The great part about Social Media… anyone can participate. The scary part about Social Media… anyone can participate. In a downturned economy, marketing is often a target for staffing and budget cuts. The school of thought here is less marketing will save dollars.  Another, newer misconception is that anyone can lead the corporate Social Media efforts since this type of marketing is “free”.

Advertising Age writes about this point today. Despite many people participating in the evolving web, and communicating using platforms like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, it does not necessarily mean that person is the right choice to be the voice for, or driver of communication in the social space. Companies need to be more aware than ever that user-generated-content is everywhere. Understand the where, why, what, etc. to what people are saying about your company, products or services is increasingly important. Also, mapping out a plan for where, when and how to engage complete with measurable goals is key to program success. Without a knowledgeable marketing professional leading your marketing and engagement, you could veer off course.  Thoughts? Comments?