Leveraging partner ecosystems is not new.  Social Media has not reinvented the space.   Regardless of how you are experimenting with social media and partnering to drive customer value, I would recommend to not stray too far from basics.  Here are 3 rules I recommend:

1. Never embarrass your partners in front of their customers
2. Maintain a [highly] visible profile in your Partner’s income statement
3. My Golden Rule:  Whether selling directly or through the channel, never let others define the value of your product.  Define a market disruptive “promise”, and then continually exceed expectations.