I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about social media. Far from it. But there are a few things that seem obvious to me. Things that escape far too many corporate entities trying to get in on “the social media thing.”

Here’s the first thing: it’s not a craze, or a fad, or a passing phase. Sure, facebook is having some problems. And something will probably come along to put twitter out to pasture. But social media is the new normal. So if you’re not diving in, you’re missing the boat.

You can’t just throw up a twitter and a facebook page and call it done. That might seem obvious, but a lot of companies do. Your twitter and facebook pages are only as good as the content on them. As the conversations on them. If you want to succeed in the social media arena, you’ve got to commit to posting regularly and well.

You have to make yourself relevant. Unless you’re Apple, no one is as interested in your brand as you are. So, tweeting something like “X company has a brand new Y” once a week probably isn’t going to get a good response. You know why? No one cares.

If you want people to take an interest in you, to pay attention to what you have to say and click through to your site, you’ve got to give them a reason to do so. Tell them why your new Y is important. Show your readers how what you have to offer is going to benefit them.

Remember, no one likes to listen to someone blather on endlessly about themselves. So take time out to listen. Engage people. Post content from other sources. At the end of the day, social media is all about relationships. Make it your mission to foster open, honest communication with your target audience and you’ll be richly rewarded.

Lastly, forget trying to “think outside the box.” There is no box. Social media is a brand new world, and the possibilities are endless. So sure, start with twitter and facebook. But don’t stop there. Write a blog. Create your own social network. Invite people to contribute to a flickr stream. Get out in front of the world on YouTube.

Think about all the ways you’ve ever wanted to communicate with your audience and do it.  Because with social media? The whole planet is yours to conquer.