“For me the marketing superpower, the most important skill that makes you a great marketer, social or otherwise, is all about Looking People in the Eye Digitally… truly doing your best to connect, be responsive, and care.

The ability to go into the “social” homes of consumers and prospects, see and hear what they are talking about and interested in, and really get to know them where they live instead of waiting for them to come to your brand Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and YouTube channels. It seems so simple, but is being totally overlooked by almost all brands and marketers.

Clearly they need to learn to wade through vast amounts of data. But more importantly they need to trust their judgment, gut instinct, and common sense, and not to make it all about data like some are suggesting.

BE Authentic, don’t just ACT it. This might seem obvious… but authenticity is on the verge of becoming just another buzzword in social media marketing. TRUE authenticity (not just using that word often in your tweets and posts) will set you and your brand (product or personal) apart in today’s highly competitive market.

Welcome to the ‘Age of Influence,’ where anyone can build an audience and effect change, advocate brands, build relationships and make a difference. ANYONE!

Relationships are like muscle tissue… the more they are engaged, the stronger and more valuable they become.“