The following originally appeared in Cone’s inConetext quarterly newsletter. To read current or past issues, visit our Web site.

New media have provided countless innovative ways for consumers to connect with like-minded individuals and engage in dialogue around topics of interest. Increasingly, consumers are connecting to research and discussing their relationships with brands and corporations, scrutinizing not only the benefits they derive from these relationships, but the ways that organizations impact the world as a whole.

According to our 2008 Business in Social Media Study, 85 percent of social media users want to engage with brands through social media channels. That’s five out of every six people that are looking for some form of interaction with your organization. New media present a tremendous opportunity to engage with consumers around your CSR efforts, as both new media and CSR are rooted in transparency, open dialogue and collective efforts to improve upon the status quo.