For years, Twitter focused on building a fervent community while other established and burgeoning social networks attempted to do so while fueling growth with advertising dollars. 2011 will go down in history as the year when Twitter was officially promoted from a micro blogging network to a full fledged interest network, with each of its denizens expressing their likes and dislikes Tweet after Tweet. Combine a highly engaged interest network with the ability to introduce relevant promotions or brands in…
The First Amendment of Social Media: Freedom of Tweet
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of expression from government interference. While it is within our right to say what we think without fear of prosecution from our Government, freedom of expression in social networks however, is something altogether different. In the court of public opinion, your words can and will be used against you. But what works against us, also works for us. While the egosystem is seemingly rife with unintelligible chatter, it is, in and…
Social Business Takes a Human Touch, No Really
Served as inspiration for The End of Business as Usual… The socialization of media is the undercurrent for the Industrial Revolution of our time. Yet, here we are today, forcing social media into the aging paradigms that the social revolution set out to upset in the first place. Businesses still weigh the ROI of participation. Teams debate over who owns the company’s social presences. The parochial in middle and upper management see it as either a playground or an extension…
(R)evolution: Mark Burnett on the Art of Storytelling
Welcome to the (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. During Blogworld Expo, I had the opportunity to share the stage with Mr. Mark Burnett, a groundbreaking television producer, perhaps best known for creating and producing industry-defining reality television shows such as Survivor and The Apprentice. On stage, we spent an action-packed hour discussing his experiences and how he transformed his ideas into successful realities. Immediately…
Lexus Debuts Darkcasting: A New Social Web Series
I recently had the opportunity to work with the Lexus team on an creative new project, Darkcasting, the company’s new social web series designed to launch the Lexus CT 200h. The Lexus CT 200h is a new compact full hybrid, equipped with some very compelling features as well as various driving and atmosphere modes to suit the many moods of the person in control – seriously. I was cast in the series without obligation to blog or tweet. But, I…
Who are All of These Tweeple?
Twitter is not a social network. While Facebook is the digital equivalent to your online residence, Twitter is your window to relevance, a network where individuals connect through fleeting interactions yet rooted in context and interaction. How we embrace and invest our persona in this paradigm says more about the future of digital culture and ourselves than we might imagine. And, it’s only increasing in its societal prevalence. – More than 100 million Tweets fly across Twitter every day. –…
The Three C’s of Information Commerce: Consumption, Curation, Creation
Over the years, social networks have lured us from the confines of our existing realities into a new genre of digital domains that not only captivated us, but fostered the creation of new realities. As George Bernard Shaw observed, “Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.” Such is true for social networks and the digital persona and resulting experiences we create and cultivate. It was the beginning of the shift in behavior toward an era of…
(R)evolution: Frank Eliason on the Social Business and Customer Service
Welcome to the (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. In episode 8, I proudly welcome Frank Eliason, senior VP of Social Media at Citibank. Frank is recognized as one of the fathers of modern customer service. Prior to joining Citibank, Frank was known to many as the voice behind @ComcastCares, one of the earliest examples of how a business could use social networks to proactively…
The Dawn of the Social Consumer
Tweet…ReTweet Like Share Check-in Group buy QR code scan Augmented reality RFID What may sound like buzz words or mere hype, is actually the beginning of the end of business as usual. Welcome to the rise of the social consumer and a new era of social commerce. Look at the picture above and think about how physical and online stores can integrate the social graph into the shopping experience right now. The possibilities are limitless and we can introduce everything…
The 5th C of Community, Social Commerce
Brands are racing to create a social presence on Facebook, Twitter and the hottest social networks of the moment. The initial goals, of course, are to increase brand awareness and build community. To do so however, takes a holistic approach that extends beyond the regiment of broadcasting messages to silent audiences. Now, brands must establish a social equilibrium whereby the 4C’s of community drive measurable and mutually beneficial activity and engagement through the thoughtful introduction of content curation and creation,…
