Because it is meant to look fun, putting together a social media campaign – or integrating one into a larger online initiative – can be surprisingly difficult. There are many challenges to capturing and engaging user interests online – starting with finding the right person to lead that effort, says Andrew Ballenthin, president of Sol Solutions.

That point was driven home last December when Ballenthin put together Blog-Off II, a 12-day, seven-judge contest to test participants’ qualitative and quantitative effectiveness in social media marketing fundamentals.

The common model for building a practice is hardly individualized. Typical is the consultant using template brochures and business cards provided by his an online service or company. Marketing efforts are often minimal, since there’s little incentive to build relationships with clients who see the advisor as identical to the rest of the pack. This route provides an income but little more.

Market, Market, Market: The most visible brand wins – so market all-out

Co-Branding: It’s Not Always a Bad Idea