Active participation in social media is a business imperative for any organization building its brand, but it's worth mentioning that companies must tread carefully, lest their promotions violate FTC guidelines or their policies and practices leave them exposed. Stories of businesses' social media missteps abound, but compliance and social media use don't have to be mutually exclusive terms.

For companies, the risks associated with social media use are increasing every day. They certainly include data privacy - once an opinion or piece of information is shared online, it can spread instantly beyond the corporation's reach and control - but also extend to compliance with industry-specific and federal guidelines for communications.