I recently worked with an external PR team to develop the verbiage around a corporate social media education campaign, geared to an internal, employee-only audience, the point of which was three-fold:

• Provide a succinct definition and overview of social media/networking as a whole
• Provide an explanation of why it was important to us as a company and the benefit we hope to derive from our continued participation
• Provide a deeper dive into a select number of platforms which serve to represent the most important elements of our corporate social media strategy

In doing so, it occurred to me that, as a marketing professional immersed in the social web, it is easy to take for granted that what is a given to me is not necessarily so to those who have not make a career of new media. This was confirmed, of course, when I rolled out the campaign internally and began receiving a number of requests from coworkers who were interested in participating but were having a tough time getting started.

While many of these people were engaged on a personal level – sharing photos of their children or exchanging conversation with friends, old classmates, and the like – on popular networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, a question emerged; how does one extend their presence on the social web to establish their personal business brand and become a trusted advisor in their respective field?

As branding expert Heather Huhman points out, in her post entitled “Establishing Your Personal Brand on Niche Social Networks”, there are three basic principles that apply no matter where you emerge on the spectrum of social media.

• Don’t “spray and pray”

It’s easy to make the mistake of diving right in and branding yourself on dozens of social media sites, but keep in mind the adage “quality over quantity” and remember to remain selective in your choices. Social media is not a “one size fits all” solution and it’s important that you do your research to determine which platforms make the most sense and provide you with both a community and an audience that is receptive to your message.

• Don’t be all business

Selling yourself is important, but try not to diminish the value that others place on your message by inadvertently turning yourself into a 140 character digital billboard. Remember that one of the many values of these platforms is that they enable you to engage with your audience, rather than talking at them, so loosen up a little and have some fun; you have the opportunity to ask questions, be helpful, start a dialogue, and become part of the community.

• The rules are the same

No matter what platform you land on, the Golden Rules will always apply: listen, be relevant, mind your brand, engage, and give more than you get.