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Admittedly "crunchy" Ben & Jerry's has 30,000 friends on Facebook, but can social networking sites really help engage consumers on corporate social and environmental efforts? A new report says yes - and offers these do's and don'ts on using social networks to most effectively reach environmentally and socially conscious consumers.

Green Social Networks, a new report from SRB Marketing, offers some eye-opening numbers on the current scope of social networking (a whopping 50% of the 15-34 demographic use them) and provides tips on leveraging green social networks to reach your target market. Here are five do's...

Create branded profiles and start groups on existing social networks. Prius drivers have already created their own Facebook user group - a real opportunity for Toyota, according to the report. "Users often connect to a brand or a cause as an expression of their online identities," the authors note.

Integrate marketing campaigns with social network profiles and tools. Extending your marketing efforts to online social environments can lead to viral distribution of your marketing message.

Associate with celebrities. A celebrity link to your branded page equals a tacit endorsement - but be wary of backlash from skeptical consumers. This relationship tends to work best when the celebrity's environmental credentials are well established, according to the report.

Start your own social network. Online applications such as Ning have greatly simplified the process for creating your own network, including features such as blogs, video, and interactive tools or "widgets."

Advertise on social networks. Social networks are looking to generate revenue by offering more targeted opportunities for advertising. Facebook, for example, now enables marketers to advertise based on users' profiles.

...and a few don'ts...

Don't underestimate your audience. Consumers are becoming experts on separating the genuine from the purely commercial. Marketers are cautioned, however, to "keep it real" - a forced conversation online rings alarm bells for media-savvy users.

Don't skimp on the time commitment. Maintaining a robust online presence is a full-time job - literally. Assign one person to update your social networking page regularly, and daily if possible.

Admit your mistakes. Social networks and blogs are ideal forums for the "gotcha!" game. If your company is in the wrong, failing to say so will appear uncaring. Think of Web 2.0 as an opportunity for honest dialog with your customer base.

SRB Marketing's Green Social Networks identifies more than 50 green social networks and ranks the top 15 by number of pageviews. Order a copy here.