Whether it’s delivering an outstanding presentation at an important trade show, winning over a client with an awesome display of creative firepower or simply going above and beyond on everything that’s asked of you, there are many obvious ways to score points with your boss. But now you can add blogging, tweeting and even spending company time on Facebook to that list.

It’s true.  Workers who use social media – even if it’s for their own personal branding – can go a long way toward positioning their employers as thought-leading organizations worthy of their constituents’ trust, loyalty, support and business.

That’s what I’m telling you today.  And that’s what I told the 40 or so people in attendance at my recent social media marketing workshop for the New England Direct Marketing Association.  Citing Edelman Digital’s recently released white paper, “Five Digital Trends to Watch for 2009,” I was happy to proclaim that thanks to social media, everyone in the audience had the opportunity to be so-called corporate all-stars (if they weren’t already)…

“Personal branding, while not a new concept, is hot.  Many workers are flocking to social media venues in an effort to invest in their own brands, especially in these more uncertain times.  Smart companies are recognizing that these individuals, if channeled, can become corporate all-stars that help them market in a very efficient and authentic way,” reads the summary of this Edelman Digital white paper.

Ironically, I found out about this white paper on Micro Persuasion, a wildly popular blog written by a quintessential example of the corporate all-star, Edelman’s own Steve Rubel.  If you’re not paying attention to Micro Persuasion, you’re missing out on arguably today’s most vital information and insight on “how emerging technologies are revolutionizing marketing communications.”  Trust me.  I’ve been reading Steve’s posts since I started blogging myself in 2004, and I find him to be engaging, illuminating and downright spot on almost every time in his analysis and commentary.

Other well-known corporate all-stars active in social media circles on behalf of their employers include Chris Brogan, Sarah Evans, Jeff Brooks, Kara Swisher, Amber Naslund, Frank Eliason and Paul Chaney, just to name a small handful of the many who are undoubtedly out there tirelessly, indefatigably working the beat.

As Seth Godin writes on page 35 of his latest book, Tribes, “The essential lesson is that every day it gets easier to tighten the relationship you have with people who choose to follow you.”

And that’s due in large part to the emergence of social media, of course.  If you’re blogging, tweeting and engaging in the conversation on Facebook and other SM platforms, you’re likely positioning yourself as a leader of a tribe, someone who values listening and learning as much as teaching, someone who can be counted on as a successful brand ambassador, corporate citizen and role model.  The benefits to you and your employer are multitudinous, including…

• Increased credibility and enhanced reputation
• Greater transparency, authenticity and trust
• More knowledge, information and insight
• Additional PR and business opportunities
• New relationships, contacts, customers and friends
• Extra traffic, attention and buzz
• Greater professional growth and education

So what about you?  Are you a corporate all-star?  Are you doing everything you can to hit a home run out of the social media ballpark?  If not, there’s never been a better time to step up to the plate.

For more social media strategies, check out our webinar, “How to Build your own Blog and Social Media Marketing Strategy”