ProjectEve recently summarized a series of talks given by Brian Solis on how to reach connected customers. The result is, “The 7 insights from Brian Solis on marketing to the new connected consumer.”

One of the most impressive thought leaders in business and new media is Brian Solis. He’s the Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group. Solis is also an international best-selling author and speaker.

This week, Solis said that technology is changing the way people share experiences but businesses are merely trying to keep up, not get ahead.

He reminds us not to flood people with content every day, but to make them feel special with relevant information that they will want to share.

On Value: “At the end of day, you’re not just competing for attention, you are competing for relevance. To earn relevance, you have to understand what the connected consumer values.”

On the Gifts of Technology: “The gifts of technology are Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and all the others. These gifts help us better understand how to engage, how to understand what people want, and how they communicate. These gifts help us learn what it takes to be part of a community, and what it takes to lead a community. They are not just channels to market at people or to talk at people, or to do what we’ve always done, like try to drum up interest or drum up reactions. We now have to find the meaning within all this activity.”

On Attention: “Marketers have to try and penetrate attention, and then define what it is you want people to do next. We are redefining the experience we want people to have.”

On Creating Experiences: “Marketing is not a department, but a function of life, business, experience and engagement. When people are connected, they are constantly sharing what they love and hate; it’s an emotional landscape.”

On New Approaches: “We have to deliver a new approach with something a little bit more meaningful and valuable to the connected customer. One where you don’t justify your existence by the number of likes, shares, or views.”

On Generation Gaps: “Marketers must augment the traditional approach or philosophy and find new ways to understand who you are trying to reach and what pulls them through the sales funnel. Instead of creating the ‘Us versus Them’ mindset or feel, all we can do is better understand it and appreciate it and accept that this person is different than us. The only way to lead them rather than react to them is to learn from them. We have to be inspired and find new ways to steer their attention span for productive experiences and productive outcomes.”

On Change: “Consumer behavior is evolving, our technology is evolving, but our business processes, systems, services, and philosophies are not. Our methodologies and value systems are changing to adapt but they are not changing fast enough to lead. Everything I have learned about the future of marketing and branding is this: Behavior first, technology second.”

Solis says everything starts with intention.