The intersection of the personal and the commercial is becoming more complicated than ever in the social media sphere. As more and more companies interact with their customers (or potential customers) via social media, rather than the traditional broadcast and print channels they're used to, the idea of using channels originally meant for person to person communication for commercial messages brings up complex problems of authenticity. Community norms for communication channels such as Facebook and Twitter expect participants to contribute meaningful content and interact as humans, rather than as entities, with other members.

Brands that fail to do so are routinely penalized with community disapproval. Yet, how does the pressure to be authentic apply to a corporate or organizational entity? Is it not more "authentic" to tweet as large corporation when that is, in fact, what you are? How is the personal reputation of the individual employee asked to promote their employer impacted? Does the transition to more personal forms of communication like Twitter provide the long-anticipated advantage that digital media was supposed to provide to small businesses, niche groups, and emerging technologies? Can large organizations be authentic, or does the transition to new media mean that the very means of communication now privilege small brands and individual contributors?

Join AMA Boston's Social Media group members and the Social Media Club of Boston for a thought-provoking look at how to be a real person on Twitter and Facebook when you're also marketing a service, product, or company. We'll explore the questions on everyone's mind, like:

• How much promotion of my products can I do on social media without seeming like just a commercial?
• Should my employees tweet about my product?
• How do I interact with customers via social media in a way that is real and relevant?
• How personal should I get on a Twitter account or Facebook page I also use for business?
• Should I have two separate accounts for personal and professional activities?

• Michael Troiano, Principal, Holland-Mark Digital and author of Scalable Intimacy: Branding in the Age of Social Media
• Luke Penney, CEO and Founder, LEAP Organics
• Georgiana Cohen, Manager, Web Content and Strategy, Tufts University, and former producer, Boston.com
• Mike Langford, President & Investment Advisor, Course Pilot Financial and co-host of the award-worthy show, NomX3