You could look at the world of social media as a game of snakes and ladders. One bad decision can send you sliding down a slippery slope, but to climb to the top takes dedication. Today sees the release of the world's first Social Media Reputation Index.

SM2 Partner Yomego, crunched the data with Alterian's SM2 tool and the results make for interesting reading. The research shows that brands that rank highest are those really engaging with customers through the channels that mean something to them, it just proves what we have been saying all along, there is no cookie cutter approach. eBay has shown its ability to do this in spades, pipping Apple to the top spot. When you look at this in relation to the Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking, you can see some stark differences. Watch the videos below for more details.

While we know that social media is not a silver bullet, it does show how savvy use of this new and evolving channel can help your brand stand out from the crowd, develop positive awareness and generally punch above its weight. For even more evidence of this visit Alterian's Buzzbowl site where we analysed social media mentions around this years Superbowl.

So it's all to play for, just make sure you have the right tools for the job.