Smashing Magazine recently published a list of ten truths most corporate websites don’t want to face. I found Harsh Truth Number Five most interesting: “You are wasting your money on social networking.”

Not that social networking isn’t effective for corporations. As Paul Boag writes, “Tweeting on a corporate account or posting sales demonstrations on YouTube misses the essence of social networking. Social networking is about people engaging with people. Individuals do not want to build relationships with brands and corporations.”

How can a business use social networking tools effectively? Boag encourages companies to let their employees blog or tweet independently. With a few guidelines on acceptable content, employees can give their companies a personal, networked presence on the Internet.