Are you with us so far? Social media is certainly involved, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. The biggest advantage to getting involved in social media is the conversations you can develop with current and future customers. Rather than the one-way, sell-sell-sell message of traditional advertising, social networks allow you to engage your customers, receive their feedback, and respond in a meaningful way. As a matter of fact, most evidence thus far shows that using social media as a vehicle for sales messages is not effective—treat it as an opportunity to have a human conversation, not spew corporate idioms.

Start with your website. Your presence on the web isn’t restricted to your corporate site. Social media channels, including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter, serve as extensions of your web presence. Think of your website as the portal for your brand’s reach.

With head of social media Scott Monty at the helm, Ford is one company that is taking full advantage of social media tools. Ford has created a social networking personality and uses Twitter for personal interaction with individuals interested in their vehicles. By quickly searching Ford on Twitter, you quickly find every tweet (140 character message) that has been written about the company. “We’re not interested in advertising on social networks, we’re interested in getting in there and interacting with people,” Monty said.

Social media isn’t a replacement for traditional advertising, but it is supplementary. Use billboards, print, radio and television to point readers and viewers online where you can engage them and continue the conversation.

Collaboration is a huge part of what we do. And creative minds don't always think alike. But that's what keeps things interesting around here. This post was written in cooperation by members of the Trampoline Branding staff.