Last week I hosted a webinar featuring Brian Solis called “Socializing your Corporate Brand”.  I had not had the chance to meet Brian prior to last week but had read his book “Putting the Public back in Public Relations” and have seen him speak on a couple of occasions.  What I like most about Brian’s talk was his use of actual, real-life, tactical examples that marketers can use today to start communicating in the social web. The session didn’t focus on theory and spent time addressing the tactical questions of the audience which made for an excellent session.  Here are some of the highlights I took away from our conversation:

1. “Social media is about sociology, NOT technology”
2. Transparency alone isn’t sufficient on the social web.  You need to be authentic, believable, and passionate.
3. Have you seen the conversation prism yet?
4. It’s the quality of the people that you align with, not the numbers & quantity.
5. Rules that govern social media are same as rule social interaction but one: more gets said online than face to face.
6. Any conversation that takes place on the social web will map directly to a department in your company (and it’s not only marketing)
7. Marketers need to evolve and “Uncampaign”. Contribute more than you consume.
8. Invest in the exchange, it’s about conversation.  Listen then engage.
9. Most effective use of social media is when you can tie it to a business goal.
10. Haven’t you heard? Everyone is a social media expert! Its digital Darwinism, not everyone is going to make it.

Below is the recording of the session with Brian.