When many companies consider their social media efforts, they oftentimes think about the company’s own Twitter and Facebook accounts. They think about the kind of messaging they want to use, the kinds of links they want to share, and how they want to broadcast these messages to the Internet at large. These are all valid concerns, but there’s another part of it that they’re missing: the community.

One Twitter account is just that: one Twitter account. The key is trying to leverage the community to work as your own ambassadors. Even if your end goal isn’t to go viral, per se, you can still get other Twitter and Facebook users to help advertise and promote on your behalf. Some great examples of this include Twitter, Foursquare, and Facebook Places.

When someone “checks in” via Foursquare or Facebook Places, they are letting all of their friends and followers about your business, even if they are doing so briefly. Some people might ask where this place is, what it sells, and why they may be interested. This represents a great opportunity for brick and mortar businesses to get that word of mouth started.

How can you encourage this kind of activity? Contests, giveaways, and incentives can certainly go a long way. In the case of Foursquare, you can say that whoever is the “mayor” of your location each month will receive some kind of free bonus. How have you used these kinds of social media platforms to promote your business?