There is no end to the clever social media-based campaigns that companies have been developing to market their products and services. A survey by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, in partnership with SAS however, finds [PDF] that these companies are only developing half of the potential for this channel.

Consider the following examples from the report:

• A major publishing and training company uses social media for recruitment by posting interviews of employees on YouTube: "It gets a lot of attention and it is an easy, inexpensive way of getting the message out about the kind of company we are," says the director of communications. The company also uses Twitter and Facebook for marketing and generating PR about new books and other products, and has launched internal blogs to keep employees connected to each other.

• A large U.S.–based industrial production management company uses its blog to gain visibility for its experts who install and optimize products in plants. The program has now expanded to include LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email exchanges between experts and customers with problems are regularly posted in the social media channels. "Right now there is a lot of expertise trapped in mail boxes and folders and it’s not visible," says the chief blogger. "Marketing brochures are not the language customers use. Social media lets the experts escape the prim and proper marketing talk."

• A European company, with supermarkets as well as food and beverage manufacturing operations, focuses social media efforts around Facebook. Some pages focus on the company; others, built by customers, discuss specific products. The company is building a site where consumers receive information about new products and vote pro or con on the product ideas. A moderating system also is used to screen blogs. "Sometimes, you find little jewels of insight. It can also be a warning system if anything is growing into an uproar," says the vice president of corporate development. "Speed is important too. Social media tells you whether people like a TV commercial without waiting for their buying behaviors to show you."

Only a Minority

The study found that nearly two thirds of the participating organizations said that they are either currently using social media channels, or have plans in the works. However, only 12% of the companies surveyed said they felt they were effective users of social media.