One of the biggest challenges facing most organizations when implementing a social media strategy -  is corporate compliance. Unlike consumer social software like Facebook® or LinkedIn... their are corporate rules and ramifications to consider before you blog, tweet or even comment on behalf of your company. Many companies are so worried about the negative implications, that they have actually banned and/or turned off access to social media sites like Facebook.

I think this type of "knee jerk" reaction stems from the fact that these applications weren't built for BUSINESS. They're great for having fun and connecting with friends, but when it comes down to:

• protecting your corporate data;
• promoting your corporate brand;
• preventing IP leakage or
• dealing with regulatory compliance, or seamlessly integrating with existing enterprise applications

...these consumer tools just don't measure up.

But don't give up hope. A new breed of social software has emerged - software that has been built with corporate needs in mind. These new solutions are more secure, tightly integrated, highly extensible and offer flexible branding options. And when you combine these new business social software solutions with a solid social software strategy, adequate resourcing and good governance practices - you are definitely on the road to success. For example, as part of your strategy, I highly recommend providing your staff with practical guidance on how to use, monitor and supervise their social networking activities. This will go a long way in shaping the right corporate culture and behaviours.

There is no doubt that implementing social software strategy will be a challenge - but I think it is a challenge every company should take on. To get you started, here are just a few corporate compliance issues from our social media playbook you might consider tackling before you start your business social software journey:

• Security
• Policies and procedures
• Intellectual property
• Regulatory Compliance
• Ethics
• Culture
• Moderation