Let the Gold Rush begin. Big companies everywhere are migrating their advertising budgets over in droves to the major social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Yes, the Internet communication shift is in full transition…

Here’s a great article on the subject in Forbes, written by Edelman Digital’s Director of Insights Steve Rubel. Rubel’s slant is that the days of dominant corporate URLs might well be on the way out. Many companies are moving away from their traditionally square and stuffy home sites, electing to invest more money and effort into building powerhouse social media strategies instead.

Rubel goes on to warn, however, that this attempt to get “hip and cool” could backfire if companies aren’t careful. In trying to make the transition from white collar to collared Ts, companies run the risk of appearing fake – something all affiliates should avoid at all costs in their PPC ads, social media writing, and sales creative!

You can read Rubel’s full article here http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/07/facebook-twitter-social-networking-marketing-cmo-network-steve-rubel.html

In general, it seems the world is moving away from a corporate model of communication that’s remote and hierarchical toward one that’s more socially democratic and “human savvy”. By that we mean communication that speaks to people in the same way they relate to each other in their every day social situations, and not as they relate to remote ideas like “brand” or “Incorporated.”

That’s why Facebook has been so incredibly popular. It’s about seeing and interacting with actual people, not just veils of copy and graphic design. It has an added tactile element.

Even though social media is a great new frontier it has some drawbacks, too. One of the pitfalls in Social Media Marketing is that in a “virtual social experience” there’s the risk of misunderstandings and faux-pas. Smart marketers can mitigate these kinds of blunders by developing well thought out strategies (a.k.a., online etiquette & manners) and thus maximize the opportunity for revenue growth though their various social media channels.

So what else should affiliates be thinking about?

In Social Media spheres, too much salesmanship will turn people off. Nobody can deny there’s a basic human aversion to being hammered with advertisements while you’re trying to hold a meaningful conversation with friends, and the same rules apply to social media sites. There’s a time and a place for responsible advertising, a line that shouldn’t be crossed if you want to gain the attention and respect of your audience. If you’re sensitive to that boundary then your advertising will hit the bulls-eye a lot more often.

Take for example contextual advertising on Facebook. Those ads that pop-up in the right nav based on key information you’ve put in your profile walk the delicate line between too-hard-a-sell and bang on make-money-like-rain. The challenge for today’s social media marketer is to know how to walk that line with skill… Not always an easy task!

Why? The line isn’t static. It changes based on the demographic you’re marketing to. Some demographics might be more likely to be offended by crazy, in-your-face ads. On the flip side, if you’re ads aren’t arresting enough, then the ROI won’t justify the budget. The line between “cool” and “cool” is also determined by the affiliates ability to gauge what sort of language their prospects use. These are just some of the considerations you’ll want to make as an affiliate marketer using social media to promote products and services.

Developing an effective Social Media presence and persona should be on every affiliate’s hit list in 2010. When you’re designing, testing, implementing and maintaing your social media campaigns, remember: Being natural, approachable, genuine, and TARGETED is the new credo when marketing online!

What’s your take? We’d love to hear what you think.