As we roll through the last half of 2009, social media has carved out a permanent place in marketing. There’s been a social media frenzy as marketers rush to be a part of the latest trends. With the acceptance that it is here to stay, it is important to take another look at what social media means for marketing.

We’ve done a lot of work with social media for our clients, and we’ve had a chance to test what it can do. We’ve also seen a lot of companies adopt social media in the past year. Despite a lot of talk from the gurus and experts, social media can often surprise marketers with disappointing ROI.

If you are currently using social media in your marketing, or plan to do so in the next year, you will want to read my new eGuide, Evaluating Social Media Claims for 2010. This brief book reviews some of the biggest claims made about social media, include the  costs, best practices, and perceptions of what it can do for your business. It lays the groundwork for a new understanding of marketing in 2010, one that uses social media as a tool, not a strategy, to market based on message, content, and the importance of speaking directly to prospects. Instead of social media for the sake of social media, this guide can help you perform social media marketing that is targeted, effective, and that leaves you in control.

View the eGuide now and begin to rethink what social media means for your business. In doing so, you can leverage the power it has to help grow your business!