Social media tends to be the place of trial-and-error when it comes to marketing and brand management. But for some, it becomes an embarrassing lesson in what not to do.

Take the marketing and design staffing firm Aquent, for instance. Recently, on their Facebook page, they posted a note, telling all of theirs tans that, like Jerry McGuire, they were there to “Show them the money.”

Their fans, in turn, took issue with that statement, to the point where some of them posted comments about the lack of money, or even the common courtesy of a follow-up, for that matter, that Aquent had showed them in recent memory.

An ironic reaction, given that one of Aquent’s core competencies is to staff for such fields as online marketing. You would think that they could have this this potential backlash coming, especially since they experienced similar comments in previous posts.

Realistically, some attempts to get the word out about your organization can potentially have the same negative effects, especially if you happen to be a staffing agency in this economy (Which, we’ve actually posted about some time ago).

The issue is never if a problem arises. The issue, rather, is how you and your organization deals with it. There are typically three ways to go about it, two of which are, well, wrong.

The first way to address backlash from a social media campaign is to delete the negative comments altogether. While this might seem like a good idea, you open yourselves up for even more attacks, and from Web sites and social media you can’t control.

Second, which appears to be how Aquent has dealt with it, negative comments are ignored, and you go about your business. This poses a worse threat, as those who are bashing you will not only continue to do so, they will feel that they can do so without impunity. Pretty soon, more users will arrive, telling their stories, until you’re stuck with a mountain of complaints in your own venue!

This is why it’s recommended that you engage these comments tactfully. In a society where the customer is always right, you want to start out the conversation with apologizing for how they were treated.

From there, you want to proceed to ask questions as to how best the situation be resolved. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are there for the interaction. Go ahead an take full advantage of it.

If not, you’ll be in a similar situation as Aquent: Pages full of disgruntled users who will continue to inflict damage.

Depending on what media report you read, it appears that small businesses, while understanding the importance of having an online presence, are reluctant to go much beyond the traditional Web site. Social media, it would seem, is not a part of the plan.

The most significant indication of this is a Citibank survey of small businesses, three-quarters of which believe that social media, in any form, is not helpful in their overall business plan. And, more recently, less than 10 percent of small businesses are currently using Twitter as a mean to engage consumers.

Why do small businesses feel this way? One reason is most likely the current economic client. The mindset, it looks to be, is that social media, for all the bells and whistles, is nothing compared to traditional business development.

Though there may be situations in which that might be true, the opportunity to interact through social media does have a place in the plans of smaller enterprises. The most significant benefit would be engaging the consumer. Plenty of larger entities have taken advantage of gathering feedback from their customers through sites like Twitter and Facebook. The application can certainly translate to a smaller scale.

And in an age where information is essential, social media can be that vital avenue. Gathering information, the cornerstone of any business development, can be facilitated by a networking site such as LinkedIn, where businesses can find the names of potential contacts.

These are just a couple of ways in which social media can help small businesses. The key, though, is for enterprises to create a true plan of action. As we’ve stated in recent posts, it’s just as important to have an understanding of social media before using them.

Developing a social media strategy can take time, a commodity that many small businesses can’t take for granted. That’s OK. Like other marketing tools, social media should be viewed in the long term, as opposed to a quick fix. That the time to determine what’s right for your business and ease into implementation. And in the end, it may be the best thing you ever did.