This is a very important time and inflection point in the evolution of web3. There’s a fantastic opportunity for brands and marketers willing to engage with this new technology. That said, in the wake of the recent volatility in the NFT and crypto markets, waves of industry layoffs, thefts, hacks, and SEC probes, it’s clear that web3 leaders and the supporting ecosystem must prioritize trust and safety, utility, and long-term value and community to encourage adoption. At the recent CMO…
Coronavirus is bringing live social media video and humanity back into the spotlight
During a pandemic, when you’re asked to stay home for a long period of time, it’s only natural that humanity would find ways to come together. To say that people would flock to the internet, on-demand video, and social media was a given. When it comes to work, it was inevitable that employees would convene around remote working, messaging, and virtual meeting platforms. Conversations about enterprise social networks (ESNs) from the “enterprise 2.0” days are even making a comeback. Now,…
USA Today Features Brian Solis’ Take on Community, a New Text-Based Platform for Celebrities
In an age where the target of social media algorithms continues to move with increasing speed, one service aptly named “Community” is allowing celebrities and business leaders to keep their base engaged by communicating directly with fans and consumers via text. Is this a good thing? USA Today reports that according to digital analyst Brian Solis, the answer is “yes” – for now. “Text creates a closer sense of belonging and engagement” that appeals to fans, Solis says, noting that the…
New Text-Based Conversation Platform Community Strives To Deliver What Social Media Promised, One-To-One Relationships
My friend Jefferson Graham of USA Today reached out to talk about Community, a new conversation platform that promises direct and instant communication at scale between a brand, celebrity, artist, personality and their ‘community’, via text messaging. Cue the record scratch. Text messaging? But we live in a world of social media…you know, “social” media? The great social experiment that is social is still evolving. Some might argue that in many ways, platforms have cultivated anti-social behaviors. Don’t get me wrong,…
The Content Moderation Imperative: How AI and Humans Will Make Social Media and Gaming Better for the World
I had the privilege of participating in an important conversation about the state and future of social media and gaming and the need to protect users from harmful content and engagement. Joining me in that conversation was Chris Priebe, CEO & founder of Two Hat Security and Stewart Rogers of VentureBeat. You can listen to it (and I encourage you to do so) here. Leading up to the discussion, I spoke with VentureBeat on the subject and the critical need for intelligent…
The Art of Storytelling in an Era of Connected Audiences
Once upon a time, brands and agencies set out to tell the most engaging, transparent and shareable stories the world had ever seen. Little did they know, the audience would become storytellers in their own right. That signal, that certain spark to break the fourth wall to connect with audiences had since extinguished. The world moved on. Now, everyone was connected and everyone not only had stories to tell and experiences to share, there were devices, platforms and channels to…
New Media and the Path to Business Transformation
I have a standing offer to all universities (around the world) that use my books as part of the editorial program. I will happily make time to speak to the class to address discuss the material and also answer student questions. In one such case, I joined my friend Kristian Strøbech who teaches budding media professionals at The Danish School of Media and Journalism along with his students for what turned out to be a fantastic conversation. I hope you…
What Do You Stand For? #WDYSF
To change, to make things matter to real people, everything must begin with a new perspective and approach. Ask yourself…What do you stand for? It’s an important question you must answer before expecting anyone to stand alongside you. #WDYSF What is the value you wish to add? What is the value you wish to take away? How does engagement make things better or create new possibilities and opportunities for all involved? No matter how much we say or create, it…
How a Conversation About a New Movie Made Me Rethink How I Chase My Aspirations
On this episode of Revolution, I invited, or rather subjected myself to the antics of my good friend Hooman while on camera. In San Francisco, he’s best known as one of the main personalities on the drive-time morning show at Alice 97.3. In Silicon Valley, he’s an active participant in learning and shaping how technology affects consumer entertainment. Now he’s in the movie business…or at least trying to break in. But how and why does he think he can make…
How to Foster a Culture of Contribution: Communities Take Investment and Engagement, Not Just Content
Guest post by Greg Narain (@gregarious), co-founder of Chute, a social media platform that helps brands and publishers obtain rights to UGC content. Customer-contributed stories are not only powerful, they’re also influential and important. Yesterday, customers conveyed their stories through text and voice. Today, we’ve moved to visually rich tools like photos and videos. While compelling to look at at face value, there’s quite a bit more hidden within. Ever one of these stories affords us much more than just…
