As the nation watches Iowa today, businesses should watch the conversation. Caucusing is social networking. While the forum is not online today, precinct groups will interact much like consumer groups do when they converse online about a product or service. Like members of a social network, caucus-goers will be influenced by voices that look and sound like they do (not like pollsters or advertisers).

Increasingly, consumers are nominating (buying) products and services this way. As B.L. Ochman predicts, “social networks will be the key driver of brand success as consumers increasingly trust each other’s opinions and distrust advertising and corporate crap.” Today’s caucusing will provide a big clue for how best to participate in social networks. Namely, business must learn to speak to its customers with a citizen voice.

What does that mean? Adopt a company voice that sounds natural, honest, real and human, and give up the industry (party) line. Communicate with your customers like you’re one of them, a citizen of their network. The Cluetrain Manifesto says that the best way to do that is to “empower real human beings to speak on [your] behalf.” Much like the Iowa caucus will today.