Social media has made an indelible mark on how brands communicate with their customers – no one can deny that. Over the past five or so years, we’ve seen social media rise to new heights and now the question for brands isn’t “should we get involved in social media” but “how best can we use social media to our advantage?”

I recently attended Social Fresh, a conference dedicated to shining light on all things social media, much like Nuffer, Smith, Tucker’s own San Diego Social Media Symposium. Here, I heard from San Diego-based Intuit’s Adrian Parker regarding how the company handles social media, an approach Adrian likens to cooking.

People approach cooking in different ways. You can open a recipe book, make a list of ingredients, go to the grocery store and purchase ingredients, prepare your cooking space, follow directions, and finally serve the meal. This technique is full of calculated moves and would often result in a delicious dinner, but it lacks spontaneity.

Another approach would be to open the pantry, look for interesting ingredients, brainstorm combinations, develop your own recipe, improvise cooking techniques and finally serve the meal. There is a lot of room for error in this methodology, but it also opens the door for innovation and learning.

Adrian’s insight served as a fresh reminder to not rely on cookie-cutter social media techniques. While it may seem scary to take risks, it can give your brand the voice or reach it needs to make a splash in the social media landscape. Next time you log in to Twitter or Facebook on behalf of your brand, remember to blend tried-and-true tactics with new ideas to develop your own recipe for success.