Did you collect enough eggs from your chicken farm? When was the last time you sent your friend a virtual cupcake? If you participate in two of Facebook’s popular external applications, then you are aware of what I’m talking about.

Now with more than 400 million users and 500,000 active applications that users can connect with, it’s obvious that most of us are jumping on Facebook for reasons other than finding out what our best friend from 8th grade did this past weekend.

For many companies, having a simple fan/company page is no longer enough to communicate with its target audience about client information or recent news. Such interactive entertainment applications like Farmville, Birthday Cards, iLike, Top Friends, and Mafia Wars demonstrate that millions of consumers on this social platform are interested in playing games, interacting with their friends, sharing personal interests and forming teams for a great cause—key traits that any marketer can and should easily incorporate into real-life interactive campaigns.

With 70 percent of Facebook users engaging with some of these interactive applications every month, it’s time to find out more about this strategy. Consider the following for effective application implementation:

1. Allow team building to be a factor for success: participants enjoy coming together for a greater cause and making a large difference all together. On Facebook, sharing is very much caring. Example: Best Buy has online “Best Buy Communities” that help answer customer questions and assist in finding the best price possible for products.

2. Make it easy to interact with your company: one-click downloads, photo uploads, donations, and “forward to a friend” buttons will help spread your message quickly. Example: T-Mobile Blackberry has simple “download now” buttons for wallpapers, applications, and tips of the week.

3. Have a variety of communication tools available for use: Captivate people’s attention by offering videos, photos, music, ability to make wall posts, and direct chat. Example: American Red Cross posts live video updates from natural disasters.

4. Make your page visually appealing: Colors, shapes, fonts, and placement of accomplishments on personal profiles will spark the interests of consumers. Example: Target allows fans to flip through an online magazine and mix and match new product lines.

5. Offer a “game mentality”: It always feels good to reach a set goal. Set goals for participants and they will thrive on the instant gratification. Example: Chase Community Giving encourages its Facebook fans to vote for their favorite charity to receive money, then Chase makes the donation on their behalf.

Are you a fan of any interactive applications? If so, are they missing from my list? We want to hear about what you do on Facebook and what makes you choose to participate.

The other day I did a quick survey of my overflowing email inbox to see how many subject lines really made me want to open the message. The results were about 30 percent. That means seven out of 10 senders, such as newsletters, seminars, and brands fall short in enticing me to read their correspondence. This low number tells me there’s lots of room for improving subject lines, as these are the vital words that determine if electronic communication gets digested.

With nearly 90 percent* of adults on the Internet using email, sending electronic messages is one of the easiest ways to reach out to potential customers. To do so effectively, however, you must grab their attention immediately with a strong, active subject line. Otherwise, all of that great information within the body of the email will be wasted. In short, email subject lines must stop readers in their tracks.

Here are a few tips we use at CMD to create attention-getting subject lines:

• Read news headlines and popular Twitter users for inspiration: Ever notice how headline news writers and great tweets have the uncanny ability to grab your attention effortlessly in just a few words and characters? That’s what you should strive for.
• Avoid SPAM language: Terms like “win” “save” and “hi” may send your message straight to the junk folder. For example, instead of saying “Enter to Win a Vacation,” say “CMD Wants to Send You to Hawaii.” For your reference, here’s a list of over 200 SPAM words and phrases to avoid.
• Use power words: Whether it’s a call to action or a report of action, the lively tone of the subject line will move readers to open your email. For example, instead of writing “Google, Facebook Don’t See Eye-to-Eye,” write “Google Fights Back against Facebook.”
• Think numerically: Using numbers, like “Six Tips for Becoming a Better Communicator,” will let potential readers know what to expect from your email. Plus, having a set number implies a set length, which is inviting—especially in the age of information overload.
• Make words count: Odds are if your subject line rambles on, your readers will trail off. No matter the length of your subject line, make each word pull its weight. Remember, if you succeed in convincing the reader to open your message, you have the entire body of the email to fill with details.

What exactly does an effective subject line look like? Here are some examples that grabbed my attention:
• Appealing to curiosity, from the Smart Brief on Social Media: “Dispelling the No. 1 social-media myth”
• Listing the most provocative headlines of the day’s news, from AdAge Global: “U.K. election ad airbrushed; Pepsi is now Pesi in Spanish; 8 Things Foreigners Get Wrong About China”
• Posing an interesting question, from Real Simple: “What Would You Give Up for a Free Hour?”

With these basic tips, you can put together compelling subject lines that get results. Remember, your target audience will never get to the juicy content you’ve created if the subject line doesn’t pique their curiosity. Nor will they see the email if the terms in the subject line send the letter straight to the junk folder.

*From the Pew Internet & American Life Project http://www.pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data/Online-Activites-Total.aspx

With the advent of the iPad, mobile Internet devices are shaping up to be the the hottest tech story of the year. Frankly, I’m over the hype, so I wanted to know what the everyday reality is for tech-savvy folks around the office. What devices are worth their weight? What do they have, and what do they want?

I quizzed a few tech-forward CMDers to find out what’s in their bags and on their minds, especially when it comes to tech trends. The results yielded some popular apps and devices you might want to bag for yourself.

Dean McBeth, power user

It has to be good to go on two wheels in order to make it into Dean’s Chrome bike bag. Here’s the tale of the tech tape for this digital strategist. Watch out Sun Tzu.

ASUS Eee PC netbook (We hear Dean’s been doing a lot of cloud computing lately.)
HP Elite laptop
Sony camera
Microsoft wireless mouse
iPhone
Clear WiMAX dongle
Moleskine (“The original PDA”)
Iron Maiden Blu-ray Flight 666 DVD (on loan from Patrick Anderson)

If you were trapped on a desert island, what could you not live without?
A solar-powered laptop

What was the biggest trend in mobile Internet devices in 2009?
One word – DROID

What is your prediction for the mobile technology space in 2010?
It’s all about the iPad this year.

What do you wish you had in your bag?
I can’t tell you my first answer on the company blog, so how about a solar charger.

Whose bag would you like to peek in and why?
Lance Armstrong’s – he always has the latest cycling gadget.

What feature should all the folks out there be sure to get in their next mobile device purchase?
4G

What is the best app you’ve downloaded in the last 30 days?
Foursquare

Erik Sebellin-Ross, multimedia maestro

Erik’s flair for online trendspotting comes across in his social media consulting, and his Timbuk2 commuter bag holds multiple options for staying connected and storing media.

HTC TouchPro2 Windows phone
iPod Touch
Nintendo DS Lite with ScribbleNauts and Gunstar Superheroes
Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
Monster Cable Beats by Dr. Dre (translation: expensive earbuds)
SD card adapter
Moleskine
Stabilo left-handed pen
Handfuls of USB drives and game cartridges

If you were trapped on a desert island, what could you not live without?
My iPod touch

What was the biggest trend in mobile Internet devices in 2009?
Proliferation of social networking apps

What is your prediction for the mobile technology space in 2010?
Bigger screens and longer battery life – the iPad will set a new standard for interactivity on the go.

What do you wish you had in your bag?
No surprises there – an iPad

Whose bag would you like to peek in and why?
George Clooney’s – “Up in the Air” got me thinking about what people like him carry around.

What feature should all the folks out there be sure to get in their next mobile device purchase this year?
The ability to install apps – feature phones are so 1990s.

What is the best app you’ve downloaded in the last 30 days?
Eucalyptus, the e-book reader that connects to the Project Gutenberg database

Tracy Johnson, the minimalist

Associate Creative Director Tracy makes it a three-fer for Moleskine journals – the only common element that runs through all three bags in our straw poll. Count on Tracy to have insightful recommendations up her sleeve, if not in her teeny Overland bag.

iPhone
Earbuds
USB drive
Moleskine and colored pens

If you were trapped on a desert island, what could you not live without?
My iPhone

What was the biggest trend in mobile Internet devices in 2009?
More apps than ever before

What is your prediction for the mobile technology space in 2010?
More quality, less quantity – we’re past the stage of gimmicks and the next cool thing. We’re all waiting for the devices that actually make our lives easier.

What do you wish you had in your bag?
Unlimited battery supply – I have every gizmo I could want and I upgrade eagerly, but when it comes to battery life, I have to plan my use. I hate that.

Whose bag would you like to peek in and why?
The guy who writes the Museum of Modern Betas blog – he’s searching the globe for new apps, so I want to know if he actually embraces them.

What feature should all the folks out there be sure to get in their next mobile device purchase this year?
Touch-screen capability

What is the best app you’ve downloaded in the last 30 days?
Momento – it aggregates your social media posts into a daily journal you can add content to.

So, what’s in your bag?

Over the years, printed newsletters have been popular vehicles for communicating company news and information directly with customers and employees. Today, many clients ask us if newsletters are still relevant in an increasingly digital world.

In short, the answer is “yes.” They’re not dead, and here’s why: company newsletters have been redefined, and can be leveraged across new platforms to expand their reach and cross-communicate in various channels. That’s a big payoff and great ROI on content that otherwise would have been sequestered in a printed piece. If you plan strategically, today you can get more bang for your buck out of newsletters than you ever could before.

Here are five tips to keep in mind to set your company up for newsletter success:

Content is king. No matter what form a newsletter takes–printed or email–content is still the most important element. Develop stories that help, encourage, and inform the audience with timely information. Expand the content out beyond just you and your company to include industry trends, case studies, and tips that readers can benefit from. The best content is brief enough to engage those with short attention spans and not too self-serving. As the news media shrinks, this approach is an opportunity to tell your story directly to customers.

Plan, plan, plan. Organizing a successful newsletter takes planning. The first step is setting a purpose for your newsletter. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish for all the effort and expense. Next, establish deadline and publish dates to keep everyone on schedule, and evaluate timing to coincide distribution with trade shows, product launches, or other timely opportunities that can support the brand message. This has proven to work for both printed and email newsletters.

Leverage social media. Newsletter content makes great fodder for a company’s social media channels. For example, post newsletter stories on your website and distribute links via a Twitter account to your audience. Or post on Facebook and ask customers to comment. By doing so, you reinforce your message and get more mileage out of your efforts. Social media is also a rich environment for gathering content. For instance, we use one client’s Twitter account to conduct quick survey polls using SurveyBob on industry topics and run the results in the company’s quarterly newsletter.

Appoint an in-house publisher. CMD works on newsletters for several clients and the most successful ones are those that have a single, internal contact who acts as publisher. Our experience shows that bringing too many people into the newsletter process is like inviting too many chefs into the kitchen. Everyone has an opinion and the end result usually isn’t that good. Plus it never goes out on time.

Survey says. Have you asked your customers recently what they want to read about, or do you just think of story ideas that sound interesting? Remove the guesswork and survey your audience about stories, frequency, distribution method, etc. You can’t give them what they want if you don’t know what it is. This step could save you time, money, and improve your odds of positively connecting with customers.

As communicators, we read and write a lot of content. In fact, I’ve heard that the average consumer takes in 30 GB of content per day, so I can only imagine how much more is read by professional marketers. (This is what I tell myself so I don’t feel so bad for not reading every “must read” book and white paper out there.) But, over the holidays, I got caught up on my booklist by reading one of the most talked about marketing books of the year–Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.

The book focuses on the value of trust in online communities where transparency is king, communication tools are endless and efficient, and cynicism among consumers is at an all-time high. Through online research, the book states, “We are currently living in a communications environment where there is a trust deficit. As a society, we no longer have confidence in advertising. We are hostile to those who appear to have ulterior motives, even if they’re just selling themselves.”

So how do you break through the clutter and gain the trust of your key influencers and audience? The book’s authors outline six characteristics of Trust Agents, including:

1. Make Your Own Game: Be a game changer and stand out among the crowd.
2. One of Us: Belong to the communities where your audience belongs. Talk like they talk. Read what they read. Spend time where they spend time. Engage in conversation with them without selling something.
3. The Archimedes Effect: Leverage the Web to extend your power, reach and influence.
4. Agent Zero: Build and maintain your network to give you greater access and opportunities. We’re way beyond the point of creating relationships by passing out resumes and business cards.
5. Human Artist: It’s a consumer’s world and the buyer is always in control. The good ol’ Golden Rule has never been more important for online etiquette. This section also has an awesome quote–“In social media, human is the new black.” It’s not the tools–it’s the relationship that matters.
6. Build an Army: Use your relationships and built-upon trust to gather a mass movement. A collaborative group can always accomplish more than an individual alone.

The biggest takeaway I gained from this book affirmed the social media approach we take at CMD: listen to audiences before joining the conversation and defining the strategy. A conversation is a two-way street–you can’t shout your marketing messages and expect your audience to engage with you. Rather, you have to listen to what they’re saying and respond where you have the expertise to do so.

Have you read Trust Agents? I’d like to know your thoughts about the book, and if you have any other book suggestions to add to my ever-increasing list.

The year 2009 will undoubtedly go down as the year that Twitter exploded onto the communications scene. With so much attention and interest, Twitter gave us a new and interesting way to engage in two-way conversations with people, clients and customers, as well as take advantage of a plethora of off-shoot companies built to service the microblogging site. Also, due to Twitter, breaking news that was usually delivered 45 minutes or more after an event is now delivered in a mere 45 seconds.

To help our clients keep up-to-date on Twitter best practices, the CMD Earned Media team has presented numerous Twitter how-to seminars over the past year, guiding and showing how to use the channel strategically and addressing the basics of getting started. (See our earlier blog post on our Twitter 101 session for local Portland media.) We recently held a seminar for our CMD colleagues to offer insight and best practices to those who wanted to learn more and get started. The session was spirited and full of interesting questions, including these five:

Q: I’ve set up a Twitter account, but really, why should I be on it?
A: We all use social media to communicate in various ways. Some people use it to keep in touch with family and friends. For business-savvy users, you can listen to what is being said about your clients, research your competition, find recent news pertaining to an industry and connect with media and people who share common interests. If you’re interested in what others are interested in, then Twitter is for you.

Q: What type of information should I list in my profile?
A: It’s important to note that all information on your Twitter profile is searchable, which means that what you tweet will show up in real-time search results based on keywords that you use. Make it easy for people to find you by listing the company you work for, your current location, occupation and interests. Now that Twitter search results show up on Google and general Web search, it’s more important than ever to ensure that what you’re twittering is relevant and interesting, and not just a space-filler, i.e. “I’m eating lunch.”

Q: How do I develop followers or find people to follow?
A: There are many ways to develop followers. For example: using Twitter’s search bar, doing a Google search, or using one of our favorite free tools, www.twellow.com. Twellow is like the Yellow Pages of Twitter – with over 12.5 million profiles listed, you can harness your following/followers by looking up your favorite hobby, the industry you work in, location and more.

Q: What if I accidently share something on Twitter that I did not want to?
A: As we like to remind our clients, once you send a tweet, it technically lives forever in the “twittersphere.” Sure, Twitter offers the ability to delete a tweet (when you hover over your update when viewing your home or profile page, you’ll see a trash can at the end of the update), but there is no way to prevent it from ever not turning up in search results. When in doubt, re-read what you’re about to tweet to make sure you’re comfortable with the message.

Q: Can I update multiple social media channels at once?
A: Yes. We are busy people, and managing different social media profiles takes time. If you are interested in integrating both your Facebook and Twitter profiles simultaneously, visit: http://www.ping.fm/ (another favorite tool of ours). Also, LinkedIn has recently been enabled for Twitter updates, so your tweets can appear in your network updates section.

Questions? Tweet us @CMDPortland. We’re here to help.

The halls were alive with tweets at CMD recently as the agency’s PR group hosted a Twitter 101 session for members of the local media. We welcomed users new and seasoned alike in an effort to help Portland-area journalists build a strong Twitter presence for their work and personal use.

Our attendees hailed from newspaper, magazine, radio and TV outlets. Despite diverse reporting methods, everyone in attendance agreed that they were curious about how Twitter could bring attention to their work. Some attendees were toe dippers—they had set up accounts, tweeted a few times, then lost interest and left their Twitter pages as virtual ghost towns; some were semi-enthusiasts—participating frequently in two-way communication on Twitter; some were holdouts—skeptical about how useful Twitter really can be: who cares “what you’re doing”; but the majority of the group were spectators, aka consumers —using Twitter as a stream of news.

Our audience was well aware that Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that now boasts over 21 million users, and that staying relevant means knowing something about it. At the same time, most of them didn’t know the intricacies of being a successful member of the Twitter community. I overheard one frustrated user say, “I’m tweeting out into space, but I don’t know who’s seeing my tweets. I would like to figure out who to follow and how to get followers.” At that point, we introduced tools that could help this editor track URL clicks and measure the value of his tweets for his audience.

The PR team also educated the group on everything from creating a strong profile to the ins and outs of gaining influential followers. Every pen in the room was active as we gave overviews of the Twitter tools that we find most valuable. In the end, we hoped to instill that openness is the key to being a respected member of the Twitter community. As one of our attendees expressed, “Twitter gives viewers a chance to get to know journalists on a more personal level, and that will lead to exclusive content from loyal followers.”

Here are some other tips we shared during the seminar:

1. Secure your username now. Protect it like you would a domain name.

2. Make your profile count. Add a picture, bio and relevant links. Have a personality.

3. If multiple users are tweeting on behalf of your company or publication, set up a sidebar with bios for each contributor.

4. Be selective about who you follow. Choose only those who provide value to you.

Overall, it was a great event and we were thrilled at the turnout from our journalist audience and hope to do more of these special sessions in the future.

After the release of Microsoft’s latest search engine investment, Bing http://www.bing.com, there was an onslaught of credible and non-credible reviews of everything from its underlying technology to the choice of its name. The most ironic comments were from many a Scotsman; the word “bing” in Scotland can also refer to a wastepile.

In Google’s Technology Overview http://www.google.com/corporate/tech.html, the perfect search engine is defined by co-founder Larry Page as something that “understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want.” Anyone who’s recently committed a search query to the annals of Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages) does realize this is more of a quest than current reality.

I’m not here to pore over discovery into the poor makings of a search engine, nor wax poetic on the glorious wonders of search visualization, however, part of what I get paid to do and definitely what drives me as a digital strategist is to understand current technology trends and to glance into the future to identify what brands should be paying attention to.

The reality is that semantic and visual search options are here. And, if you’re a big brand relying on the 90% (and growing) market share that Google and its partners in SERPs Yahoo and Bing hold, you’re playing the right odds. But, for every monolithic corporation there are a handful of visionaries and technologists that are willing to take a risk at making something better and more powerful for the user.

That said, there’s a movement around the creation of common information structures. The W3C has published guidelines at http://www.w3.org/RDF/FAQ on participating in the Semantic Web. It’s also worth looking at Common Tag http://commontag.org and others on the development of an open tagging format. On April 13, 2009, Arun Radhakrishnan wrote a post on Search Engine Journal regarding “9 Semantic Search Engines That Will Change the World of Search,” http://www.searchenginejournal.com/semantic-search-engines/9832/, and I believe he and others are definitely onto something. The crux of the situation is that users still want the fastest route from query to results; but the majority of those users doesn’t necessarily care or understand its relevance. So cycling aficionado that I am, I decided to dive into some searches.

In a quick comparison of Hakia (one of the aforementioned “9”) vs. champion Google for the term “Tour de France,” each yielded similar results. Even though Hakia was developed by looking closer at ontology and semantic rankings, it really doesn’t yet take advantage of many Web assets. And, it’s still text-based, so the results cannot be custom tailored visually.

When I started to play with the visual search engines, the real fun began for this cycling enthusiast (and admitted right-brainer). The power of the visual cloud, like seeing what you’re searching for in Searchme, was compelling.

And, Viewzi offered several different views into its results. The more visually delicious options are the Google Timeline and the Photo Tag Cloud (shown here).

Last on my Tour de Search is Spezify, a search tool utilizing relevant, free and open APIs to generate a more diverse set of results. Although more traditional SERPs have options to view blogs, microblogs, social resources, e-commerce, images, etc., it’s impressive to see the free associated relationships drawn up in a visual mind map based on keywords, tags, titles and content.

So, what’s the real takeaway for a brand navigating the Semantic Web and visual search aggregation?

The answer can be simple: The User Experience. It’s why we have strategists, information architects, user experience engineers, information and visual designers. It can also be complex, as the art of search engine optimization (SEO) is being redefined.

The aficionado of your brand may not use the path most traveled; from a desktop on the leading browser or from the leading search engine. What’s a critical failure? How about when a user, expecting to see visual results from your brand instead receives the “In order to view this page you need JavaScript, Flash Player, or Flash Player 8+” message?

For instance, many of the web assets from one of my favorite personal brands, Nike, are not accessible from my favorite device, the iPhone, using its native OS Safari browser. When I don’t have JavaScript or Flash Player installed on Firefox or Chrome or Internet Explorer, the same falls true. Until Windows Mobile 7, Google Android’s newest native browser, and future versions of the iPhone OS Safari browser are released, I still won’t be able to consume the visual layer or search in this new visual sense.

As to my original Tour de France reference, right now it’s less about seeing who takes the yellow jersey (maillot jaune) awarded to the best overall rider and more about appreciating who wins the white jersey (maillot blanc) given to the best up-and-coming youngster.

At a time when companies are tightening their belts, when it comes to corporate travel, we are all on the hunt for alternatives to one of the biggest expenses of them all – the trade show. As a result, virtual trade shows, webinars and other events designed specifically for remote participation are popping up with increasing frequency. There are tangible advantages, such as saving on high travel costs, shipping and other expenses, but are there real gains to be had when doing business in a virtual environment?

With some planning and a hefty dose of teamwork, we believe the answer is yes. I’d like to share insights from a recent virtual trade show appearance that our team helped to plan on behalf of a technology client. The result was a successful promotion that drove hundreds of registrations at our destination website during a two-day period – our single biggest signup event.

Based on this experience, here are our top tips for making your virtual trade show more than a glorified website:

1. Schedule and train your staff. Even though the location may look more like Second Life than McCormick Place, don’t fall down on training and scheduling your booth staff. Make sure their laptops are ready, and they know when and how to log in and are online during their assigned booth times – even if they’re at home kicking back in their pajamas!

2. Generate content … at every step of the way. One of our most successful strategies was to invite bloggers and spokespeople within our network to stop by our virtual booth and chat about a hot topic of interest to everyone at the show. By just talking amongst ourselves, we generated content that can be used as expert Q&As on our blog, in our newsletter and other outlets.

3. Design a meaningful promotion. Sound marketing principles work just as well online as they do in person. Make sure your virtual trade show promotion is as compelling as it can be, with a strong call to action and a great reward for participation. Needless to say, after the show, offer your leads something of value and repeat the call to action from your promotion.

4. Leverage existing social media channels. Dust off those hashtags and at-replies on Twitter. One of the best ways we were able to communicate our membership promotion and group chats was via the association’s own Twitter account. The association and even the attendees themselves repeatedly retweeted our content before, during and after the event.

5. Throw your own party. If you think you’ve got these skills down and you have compelling, educational content to deliver, consider co-hosting a virtual tradeshow with your industry association. This is an emerging trend that we’re seeing in technology companies who are thought leaders in their sectors.

Next time you receive an email inviting you to a virtual trade show, check it out. Notice what draws your attention and what turns you off. I believe we’ll be seeing many more of these events as the format evolves.

Having attended the Conversational Marketing Summit held by Federated Media in NYC, June 1-2 – a virtual “who’s who” of the latest digital marketing thought leaders – I originally planned to write about all the cool digital trends taking place right now.

After all, hearing how companies such as American Express, Intel, Lenovo, GE, Blackberry, Microsoft and more are approaching social media and the latest thinking when it comes to subjects such as search strategies was incredibly eye-opening.

But what really hit home were a few of the not-so-technical points that had more to do with social interactions vs. the latest digital know-how. The first was this perspective on social media from one speaker that made everyone squirm in their chairs just a bit:

Once you have people’s attention, be prepared for them to come after you.

The point was that certainly, social media is a fantastic marketplace of different opinions, viewpoints and personalities. But that also means, no matter how altruistic, authentic or well-intended you are, you will likely encounter a myriad of individual opinions, including some that question your credibility and your motives. And the more exposure you seek, the more likely this will be true.

The second related point that caused a few of the PR folks in the room to grimace slightly was that in this new communication world, while everyone has the freedom to express their opinions, that doesn’t mean companies have to give everyone who has an opinion equal treatment. According to what’s considered by some to be “best practices” of social and PR, that’s sure to raise some hackles, as we’ve all been coached to respond – and to respond as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. But the point was this: If you’re dealing with an individual who’s hell-bent on questioning your every move, broadcasting false or damaging opinions, and you have done your best to share your point of view, clarify and communicate, sometimes the best way to win a no-win situation is to end the engagement.

For all that is good about social, there are individuals who are simply looking to pick a fight, or whose strategy is to grab attention by being controversial. But that doesn’t mean they get to set the rules. Just like you probably wouldn’t spend your entire evening at a cocktail party with the most abusive, negative or obnoxious person in the room, neither are you obligated to do so in a social media setting.

All companies cringe at the idea that they might encounter public criticism. But should the possibility of encountering a negative situation via social media be a reason to avoid it all together? Not at all. Every company represented at the summit agreed that the very fundamentals of how we communicate have already changed, for good. Trying to deny or hide is not a solution and won’t do anything to solve a problem or stem the tide of potential criticism. Doing so only makes you look unaware and out of touch – not to mention the opportunities you might miss to clear up misinformation, educate, tell your story and express your own point of view.

So what do you do when faced with someone who is trying to flame you on social media? Here are some things to keep in mind:

- Listen closely and consider the spirit of the communication. When it comes to email, everyone understands now that it’s easy to misinterpret intent. Something written lacks a lot of what makes communications effective, including body language and tone. Although responding quickly is essential with social media, it’s also important to be sure that before you fire off a response, you take the time to digest the possible meanings and motivation behind the message.

- Consider when and how to engage. If possible, find out a little more background. Is the criticism justified, is it accurate or is it coming from someone with an axe to grind? What’s the best, most timely and appropriate way to respond?

- Take it off-line, if possible. For how “social” media now is, it also provides a cover for passive-aggressive behavior, as it’s much easier to criticize and take potshots indirectly vs. face to face. If possible and it makes sense given the situation, pick up the phone, have a conversation or arrange a meeting to talk it out to see if you can solve the problem and clear the air. Don’t allow talking through the semitransparent shield to take the place of real live human contact.

- Remember, no one individual “sets the rules.” Social media is a relatively new form of communication. As far as I know, there are no official laws governing social media conversations (besides the obvious anti-criminal laws and rules of engagement established by Facebook, Flickr and others for appropriate conduct). Social media is a great form of self expression – don’t be afraid to try some things, find out what works and admit your mistakes when things go wrong. If your intent is good and you have other people’s best interests at heart, the vast majority of the response will be positive. There are many self-appointed experts, so take their social media “finger-wagging” with a grain of salt. Don’t allow it to squelch your creativity or the opportunity to utilize these powerful channels.

- Tough as it is, take the high road: When under attack, it’s easy to want to defend yourself by fighting back, which can quickly make matters worse and become a time suck for everyone involved. One company at the summit said it follows one simple rule: respect different points of view and don’t say negative things about others via social media. A simple, but effective guiding policy.

- Beware of baiters: Some people just like to stir things up and get a reaction, even if it’s negative. Others use it as a way to call attention to themselves and promote their own agenda. Weigh individual criticisms carefully before engaging – if they are a legitimate concern, an accuracy question, a misperception or a false fact, it’s a good idea to clarify, as other social media spectators may have the same impression. If they are simply personal opinion without basis of fact, consider whether or not you’d have a realistic chance at changing an individual’s point of view or if by doing so, you’ll simply be adding more fuel to the fire.

- Set your boundaries: There are three ways to engage–deep engagement, minimal, or not at all. Consider the source, the issue at hand, and make a decision. Keep an eye on the situation and change your method as needed.