After a few weeks on the road making presentations, I can report that no subject is more controversial than the marketing effectiveness of social media. In every presentation, for every person singing about the advantages there was 5 people complaining how much of a waste of time it was. I was reminded of this last week as I read an article published in Bloomberg Businessweek that talked about the “Top Five Social Media Marketing Mistakes.” It was subtitled, “You know about all the wonderful things the blogosphere can do for your business. But how can you prevent the not-so-wonderful stuff?” Here is a brief summary: 1. Not (or Barely) Monitoring: Companies that do not first "listen" and observe how their evangelists and detractors talk about their brand risk jumping into a cyclone of unanticipated activity. Constant monitoring is a must. 2. "Down-sourcing" to Interns or Junior Staff: The fresh, young digital natives at your company embody a crucial resource in helping to navigate the emerging media waters. In some cases, however, their lack of business experience could imperil your brand's "social voice." 3. Fast Beats Perfect: In the digital world, content can spread like wildfire. Immediate, authentic, and humble acknowledgements of your brand's social media kerfuffles are not only necessary but also expected. 4. Faking It: If you've failed to foster and energize a legitimate set of brand evangelists, don't attempt to disguise false engagement by having employees pretend to be customers (known as "astroturfing"). It will most certainly be found out. 5. Having an "Off" Switch: Your brand's involvement in social media should never have an end date, since at its core, that involvement is about nurturing customer relationships. What do you think? Have you seen measurable advantages of social media marketing? Or have you seen it as a waste of time and/or creating a whole new category of problems? Howard Fenton is a Senior Consultant at NAPL. Howie advises commercial printers, in-plants, and manufacturers on workflow management, operations, digital services, and customer research.