Whether we are part of a social group, family, study group or neighborhood, we are part of a community, says Ted Shelton (@tedshelton) of Open-First.  Community characteristics include: (1) membership; (2) influence; (3) integration and fulfillment of needs; and, (4) shared feelings and perspectives. Members of a community come together to create something better than any…

Building upon Trust Agents: Using the web to build influence, improve reputation, and earn trust (by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith), companies should be there before the sale. In short, companies are building relationships with consumers in an effort to win their trust (and attention), before selling them anything. A case study in trust building:…

“Business has changed. We can talk about doing Facebook or doing Twitter, but what we really need to know is how to incorporate social media into our work.” – Social Fresh Keynote Speaker Amber Naslund (@ambercadabra) of Radian6 The Now Revolution is characterized by increased speed; heightened expectations; and open, reciprocal communication. This revolution requires…

Social media has been considered by many to be a one-to-many or many-to-many distribution model. From a customer service perspective, social media can also create an opportunity for one-to-one communication. Customers concerned about “my” question want to be, and need to be, addressed. In conjunction with a one-to-many social media model, using a one-to-one conversation…