Thanks to the 2008 election, “social networking” is the buzzword of political campaigns today. Consider this your crash course on getting started, doing it right, and—eventually—reaping the rewards for your campaign.

Lesson #1: Specialize. It makes sense in economics and it makes sense in politics. Aside from the major social networks, there are a rapidly growing number of niche networks. You cannot be part of them all and, if you were, you would never have time to keep up with all of your profiles. So, unless you are running a statewide race, pick two or three social networks and do them well. “Doing them well” means that you should fill out your profile completely, log in and participate daily, and always, always, always respond to your supporters and reach out to new ones. If you aren’t sure which to select, Facebook and Twitter will give you a sound foundation.

Lesson #2: Do it yourself. You wouldn’t send a stand-in to give a speech, so don’t use a proxy to be you online. A social networking profile is your chance to create a personal connection with another person using the internet. But you cannot make a personal connection if it’s your staff or a volunteer doing the connecting. So make a commitment to spend at least 15 minutes each day logging into your social networking profiles. People will notice the difference, and the advantage to your campaign will grow as a result. If you don’t believe me, compare the Twitter profiles of Representative John Culberson, a Republican who manages his own profile, and Senator Arlen Specter, a (now-)Democrat whose profile is manned by his staff.

Lesson #3: Be genuine. The temptation to use your social networking profile as a soapbox is nearly irresistible. But you must behave online as you would at a neighborhood party. You would share interesting information about yourself, but you wouldn’t monopolize the conversation. You might ask a friend (or, as a politician, a supporter) for a favor, but you would do so graciously, and you would listen to feedback when it was offered to you. Participating in a social network is your chance to have a one-on-one interaction with a supporter—many times over. So be genuine, affable, and interested in other people, just like you would away from the computer.

Lesson #4: Connect your social network profiles to your campaign. Your social networking profile should drive supporters to your campaign site, and your campaign site should drive supporters to your social networking profile. So connect the two pieces of your online campaign, so visitors can find you in both places.

Lesson #5: Use your social network communities. Generating a mass of followers on Twitter or a slew of friends on Facebook may look great on paper, but it’s useless on Election Day if you cannot mobilize these people to work on your behalf. So set goals for your communities on different social networks, and see how they respond. You may ask Twitter followers to pass on a link to an important news story or Facebook supporters to “donate” their profile picture to display your campaign sign. But asking people to take easy, in-network action before Election Day will help you identify the most motivated supporters, who will be your go-to group for GOTV efforts.