Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you’ve no doubt heard about ACORN. They’ve been in the news a lot lately. This post isn’t about what they did or didn’t do, it’s about what they are about to do, and whether or not you should be following their lead.

Today’s Washington Post included the following advertisement in it’s jobs section.

ACORN has recently expanded its program for national organizing and campaigns using email, the internet, and new social technologies ranging from text messaging to social networking methods. We seek an individual with the requisite technical skills and a commitment to social change with an interest in contributing to cutting edge work exploring the use of these technologies in particular social networking technologies like MySpace, Twitter, etc. – to help people of color, immigrants, and low-income people fight for change.

Duties include:
Helping to create or upgrade a presence for Bertha Lewis, ACORNs Chief Organizer, on various social media, including: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.
Establishing a presence for ACORNs campaigns for example campaigns to stop foreclosures and to fight for immigrants rights on various social networking websites.
Developing new and innovative methods for the use of social networking technologies, including video, to enhance community organizing.

Obviously ACORN has figured out that one of the best ways to get their message out is through the use of social media. Have you? Public relations, often in the form of advertising, is the method you use to make people aware of your business. Whether you selling real estate, or you are selling ad space on a website, the use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media applications is a great way to get your message out to the people that want to know about it.

Should you hire a Social Media Organizer? Not only no but Hell No! For social media to be effective, it has to be real and personal. You don’t use it like a press release publisher, you need to be personal and connect with the people who subscribe to your feeds. You have to talk with them, and not talk at them. If you do, you’ll discover that your customers are happier and business is better.