Social Networking and Media Companies

So the last couple of months have been rough in terms of getting new content up on my blog, but I am recommitting to it now that we've come out of the Holiday season (and birthday season in my household). One of the things that I am currently thinking about is how media companies and producers of content can best use social networking tools to engage their audiences and strengthen their brand. This could be anyone from NBC to Disney to specific shows or movies to individuals (actors, musicians, on-air personalities, etc). My premise is that Twitter is the ultimate star gazing tool, allowing you to follow your favorite celebrities, shows, etc. with up to the minute detail. What are the opportunities and pitfalls media companies should engage in or avoid? Please leave your ideas in the comment section here and I'll summarize in a future post along with my own thoughts.

Some food for thought:

1. A Wired blog post that highlights how enterprising individuals and brands are harnessing the power of social media to manage their lives and business, interact with their customers/communities or even create new businesses.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/02/twitters-hackab.html

2. A blog posting that highlights the benefits of a tool that Best Buy is using to aggregate the social media activities of its employees and openly share that with its customers and other interested community members. This is a powerful tool to create brand transparency and humanize the organization.

http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/02/social-hub-best-buy-connect/