An interesting study from the University of Texas recently showed that the typical information posted on social networking sites – favorite books, movies, music, and quotes; major; hometown; and similar personal items – doesn’t always give others an accurate impression of you.

When the researchers tested so called “friends” of a user on basic questions like those found on social networking sites, the information did not help users figure out what others were “really” like. Instead, the researchers found that users’ personalities were much better understood if they posted things on their profile like their most embarrassing or proudest moment, or their spirituality.

What can marketers learn from this study?

To me, I think it says a lot about a brand! If a brand posts very light information on a Facebook company page, has few conversations in the blogosphere, and isn’t really engaging, I expect the researchers would say the same about the brand – people don’t know what it’s “really” like.

But if the brand is creating interesting content, commenting in the blogosphere, reacting to postings with senior leaders, and maybe even having a misstep or two online, in my eyes it makes the brand real. Now I’m not saying to let it all hang out and anything goes online. But if you can tend toward letting go of your defenses and creating some controversy, perhaps you will be much better understood.

I can’t get an idea out of my mind that I think is profound for this social media age. Recently I blogged about giving your customers and prospects the opportunity and the permission to start a dialog with your brand. Here’s the important follow-up to that idea – don’t do it with banner ads or other roadblocks!

Create content that doesn’t interrupt users as they explore what they’re interested in. Instead, create the very content that is what they’re interested in so, by definition, they are interacting with your brand.

You will see this more and more as marketers create better and better content rivaling that of traditional media houses. A great example of this is Greg the Architect, which is both a blog series and a video series. It is so in tune with TIBCO’s SOA product that it has become a rallying cry within the organization. It also has the side benefit of positioning the company’s brand perfectly against the competition.

This is a great example of pull content rather than push content, let’s say. And that’s really the goal of new media – create the nexus for your brand and the media it takes to make that brand experiential.

Harvard Business School professor John Quelch once said “The purpose of marketing… should be geared to changing and reinforcing customer actions rather than customer attitude.” I recently revisited this quote and feel it still holds true. But in the age of social media, it is likely to come under siege.

Within his quote is the idea that we as marketers need to focus on driving fundamental shifts in customer behavior. Using tactics like pay per click advertising, you can effectively do just that. One well-placed Google AdWords can get prospects to engage in the exact behavior you want them to! It’s short. It works. And John would be pleased!

Other forms of media, however, can no longer deliver a captive audience. Customers and prospects have plenty of reasons to dislike media these days: irrelevance, interruption and just plain clutter.

But now factor in social media. The media balance is shifting from push to pull. Content creators represent 13% of all U.S. adults online. That means command and control of exact behaviors just gets harder every day.

So to think marketers can really affect customer behavior with social media is a dangerous idea to hang your hat on these days. Sure, marketers can perhaps influence behaviors with forms of social media like communities. But to me, it seems like we are getting further and further away from where Professor Quelch was directing us.

What’s your view?