by Brian Solis

Following my trip to Hamburg for the Next09 conference, I flew to Stockholm Sweden to serve as one of the keynote speakers at Disruptive Media hosted by Annika Lidne and Bjorn Falkevik. It was an incredible and inspiring opportunity to meet and learn from the catalysts who are changing the media and communications industry in Sweden. Fellow new PR and social media pioneers Steve Rubel and Chris Heuer also joined me.

Extending the discussion of the Social Economy I reviewed during Next09, I explored the separation of the “Me” from Social Media and the advantages of a holistic practice of concerted listening and ongoing observation to shape our participation in the Social Web.

Collectively, we all share the need to discover who we are and why matter to those with whom we wish to connect. But, we should also share a common desire to rise above the noise and establish a formidable and valuable online presence and defined human network that transcends from the online world to the real world.

Why is anyone better off for following or friending us?

As a digital society, we are individually investing in our social capital spurred by unconscious and also deliberate acts that unknowingly convey complacence and fuel an ambition to acquire notoriety and recognition.

Self-importance versus self awareness…

While we are captivated by the ability to broadcast through the statusphere and in the process, procure friends and followers, we loose sight of the true opportunity represented by the Social Web. It’s not the ability to share what we want, when we want. It’s not the rewards of popularity and the illusion of fandom. This is a chance and a means to forge a network of influence based on the expertise and knowledge we amass and share.

Social Capital isn’t the currency of The Social Economy after all, it is merely a stature that is representative of what we share, the relationships we earn, and the perception others form based on our participation and contribution in social networks and IRL (in real life).

Attention has officially emerged as the portal to the Social Economy and in order to capture it, we must create or share content so intriguing, relevant, and thoughtful that it forces action and ideally triggers a response.

Content is still king and therefore information symbolizes the true currency of the Social Economy.

Twitter, Facebook, TweetDeck, FriendFeed, Seesmic, PeopleBrowsr, Tweetie, et al, have emerged as our attention dashboards. It’s where we share, update, consume, and learn. We click away and return based on the content that flows through our timeline.  It’s the ideas we share, the personality we portray, the stories we tell, the individuals we spotlight, and the dissemination of the things that inspire and teach us that increase our chances of capturing attention to connect and motivate.

DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?

Sometimes we benefit from the art of practicing restraint in order to breathe in the essence of the community we wish to galvanize. The Social Web is not a right, it should be embraced as a privilege. In the end, we earn the attention and the relationships we earn and nurture.

We must transform how we participate and engage online to shift from talking “at” people to investing in the collective consciousness of those communities we wish to influence, foster, and promote.

We must believe we have something to learn.

We must have something of value to share.

None of this is Social “Me”dia, it’s about the journey we share and not the destination. This is our time to contribute to a more meaningful and mindful future of media and communications. Our culture and societal values are ours to define – for better or for worse. The question is, whether or not we take responsibility for the social physics that shape its direction and governance.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Chris Heuer

Annika Lidne

Paula Marttila

Henriette Weber

Björn Falkevik

Brian Solis

Pictures of Stockholm, Sweden…

Please visit my albums on Flickr for more pictures from Disruptive Media and Stockholm Sweden.

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by Brian Solis via PR 2.0

Twazzup, a new search for Twitter, debuted recently and it just may replace you’re activity on search.twitter.com for the time being (thanks Louis Gray).

As Twitter vies for its place as your online attention dashboard, keyword search and the ability to link those discussions to real people becomes the key to relevant engagement and intelligence.

Twitter search, as well as the ability to search Facebook and FriendFeed updates in real time, threaten the viability of traditional search as it exists today. The ability to tap into material dialogue, as it’s happening, connects us contextually to those who share an affinity or passion for similar interests and topics. The results provide an immediate and seasoned entree into conversations that potentially represent an opportunity to earn a response and potentially a new friend or follower. This is the foundation for trust, credibility, and how we shape our reputation and package our online persona to convey what we stand for.

Unlike search.twitter.com, Twazzup displays top keywords related to your original search criteria as well as the individuals behind the associated tweets – this is in addition to the current, unrelated trending topics displayed at all times.

Twazzup also displays the most popular tweets tied to your search terms, including the top trendmakers and outbound links affiliated with each keyword.

Overall, Twazzup is far more useful than basic Twitter or TweetDeck search for market analysts, brand and customer relationship managers, sales, IR, and communications and community professionals responsible for listening, observing, responding, and learning. However, in order to be a complete replacement, it needs to include deeper functionality found currently in Advanced Twitter Search.

For more Twitter tools, please read, “Twitter Tools for Community and Communications Professionals.”

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by Brian Solis, via PR 2.0

Part Two of my recent visit to the gorgeous San Francisco offices of Loic Le Meur and Seesmic.

Loic and I spent some valuable time together that proved both refreshing and invigorating. We discussed digital photography, innovation at Seesmic, public relations and social marketing, and brand building in the era of the Social Web.

The conversation evolved into a deeper discussion that tackled the subject of online community building. Loic wanted to capture and share the experience on Loic.tv, so we moved to his video studio to continue the dialogue on camera.

Loic and I also discussed my new book with Deirdre Breakenridge, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.” Please watch the video here.

San Francisco – The view from Seesmic

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by Brian Solis, via PR 2.0

I recently visited the gorgeous San Francisco offices of Loic Le Meur and Seesmic to discuss his company’s roadmap, photography, how to build online communities, as well as my new book with Deirdre Breakenridge ,”Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.”

Loic suggested that we spend a few minutes discussing the book on camera to share with the Loic.tv community. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse – after all, Tim Ferriss had occupied the same chair moments before I arrived.

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words and pictures by Brian Solis

The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas

The Conversation Prism debuted in August 2008 to provide a visual representation of the true expansiveness of the Social Web and the conversations that define it. In this short time span, over one million people have crossed its path.

When Jesse Thomas of JESS3 and I initially mapped “the conversation,” we recognized that the act of categorizing social networks within a visually rich graphic would be momentary at best, demanding endless iterations in order to accurately document evolving and shifting online conversations as well as the communities that promote them.

My goal was to observe, analyze, dissect, and present the dynamics of conversations, how and where they transpired.

We’re proud to introduce version 2.0 of The Conversation Prism. We’re also excited to release a version that traverses the online realm into the real world with the release of a full color 18” x 24” poster to prominently display in the workplace, classroom, home office, or at events. Please visit www.theconversationprism.com for details, embed codes, and additional insights.

Please read the full post at PR 2.0.

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by Brian Solis

At SXSW this year, I am privileged to host a book signing for my brand new book written with the wonderful Deirdre Breakenridge, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR.”

The book will be available for sale on site or feel free to bring your copy.

Hosted by Barnes and Noble and located on the Trade Show + Exhibition floor, the South by Bookstore is where registrants will find books, CDs and DVDs by their favorite SXSW participants. Book signings by industry notables are scheduled during Trade Show hours as well as artist meet and greets.

Looking forward to seeing you!

RSVP:

Upcoming.org

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by Brian Solis

I recently conducted an interview with Sociosophy and thought I’d share the highlights with you here…

Sociosophy: What was the reason you started to blog? What keeps you going?

Brian Solis: PR 2.0 is a looking glass into the experiences, observations, and trends defining the new media landscape. Before I blogged, I wrote for industry publications and newsletters to share my ideas and lessons learned with those who were looking to grow together. The community inspires me. Innovation is my muse.

Sociosophy: How many hours a week do you spend thinking about blog posts and writing?

Brian: I spend far too many hours thinking, conceptualizing, and starting posts and even more time finalizing 1-2 posts per week. I also blog at bub.blicio.us, which covers new web tech, gadgets, tech culture and the social economy. I’m thinking more than I’m writing however, which if I could change one thing, would be the ability to capture and communicate the essence and deep thinking that goes behind every post.”

Sociosophy: If you could change one thing about your blog, what would it be?

Brian: The design…stay tuned. I’d also love to post at a greater frequency, however, I’m also thinking about my next book.

Sociososphy: What’s your favorite Social Media outlet other than your blog?

Brian: I really enjoy following Chris Brogan, Sarah Evans, Nicole Jordan, Jay Rosen, Jim Long, Chris Heuer, Stowe Boyd, Valeria Maltoni, David Armano, among many, many others.  I’ll have to write a comprehensive post that lists everyone I love reading.

Sociosophy: Do you think Twitter and FriendFeed contribute or take away from your blogging?

Brian: Interestingly worded question. The question that everyone should be asking is whether Twitter, FriendFeed, Plurk, Facebook, etc. are thinning attention span or providing new and extended opportunities to carry ideas, opinions, and insight to a greater set of communities. I think it’s a bit of both, but blogs, for the time being, will remain as my hub for sharing more extensive and prolific discussions around important topics.

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words and pictures by Brian Solis, via PR 2.0

Twitter continues to inspire creativity and innovation among third-party developers. The latest useful solution is Twibs, a directory of businesses using Twitter to communicate with consumers, peers, and tastemakers.

Twitter is a conversation platform and it continues to fundamentally transform how people communicate with each other. Along with other socialized channels of online interaction, Twitter has also re-ignited the long-forgotten art of listening to and communicating with customers.

What started with forums and online reviews, then evolved to include blog comments, groups, social networks, and now micro communities, businesses are once again embracing the methodologies associated with excellent customer service – after all, the customer is always right. And, the customer is now potentially more influential than ever before.

Twibs is currently tracking roughly 4,500 brands on Twitter as well as associated promotions that they’re running within the popular micro community.

According to the founders, “Twibs was created by a small group of people with one purpose: Give twitter users a place to find businesses on twitter. We are big believers in the power of twitter to connect customers with businesses. We’re working on making it easy for consumers to find businesses, both local and national.”

Ways you can help:

- Add a new business
- Manage your own

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