Today I am helping companies engage more authentically with the markets they serve by developing genuine relationships built on trust through conversations and participatory media. Whether creating a blogger outreach program, determining a social network engagement strategy, designing a broader social media strategy or simply launching a blog, my insights and experiences will help you avoid the practical pitfalls and achieve success.

Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a Web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, Maine. He writes a free monthly email newsletter, flyte log, and blogs regularly at flyte blog: web marketing strategies for small business, FlyeBlog.com, and at MaineToday.com under the banner Internet Marketing 101, on Web marketing topics such as search engine optimization, email marketing, business blogs and building Web sites that sell.

Shel Israel spends a majority if his time writing, consulting and speaking on social media and business-related issues. He's the co-author, with Robert Scoble, of "Naked Conversations--how blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers," and he serve as a senior advisor to several promising social media start ups. He's also a senior advisor to both the Society for New Media Research and the Social Media Club, and serves on the board of directors for YourTrumanShow a video blogging site.