The document discusses the evolution of social media engagement through two editions of 'The Age of Conversation,' where over 230 social media champions contribute essays urging businesses to embrace open conversation rather than attempt to control messaging. Key insights include the importance of genuine engagement, the necessity of listening in social media, and the value of creating meaningful interactions over simply broadcasting messages. It emphasizes the shift in marketing dynamics where consumer experience and conversation are crucial for brand success.

1. MONEY QUOTES

2. The Age of Conversation book idea began has a dare between two bloggers. This dare quickly involved over 100 social media champions, each submitting a short essay to encourage businesses to enter the Age of Conversation . That was the first edition in 2007.

3. Now, in 2008, the second edition involves over 230 social media champions sharing essays challenging still-reluctant businesses to enter the Age of Conversation .

4. This presentation shares a few “ Money Quotes” from the Age of Conversation essays. Learn much more at: www. AgeOfConversation .com

5. “ The era of social media means letting go of attempts to control the message. That’s an illusion anyway, the belief you can control what people think of your brand.” Tammy Lenzi ConflictZen.com

6. “ People today don’t want to be controlled; they’re tired of spin and jaded about advertising. They want to be engaged genuinely.” Tammy Lenzi ConflictZen.com

7. “ But the web is different, it’s not a communications medium, it’s an interactions medium. A medium where we aren’t limited to delivering a message, but where we can deliver useful, entertaining and engaging experiences to millions of people.” Adrian Ho ZeusJones.blogspot.com

8. “ Social media, like any worthy endeavor, takes time. We must be honest — it takes time to learn the technology’s quirks, and then time to maintain those wonderful virtual relationships.” Shelia Scarborough SheliaScarborough.com

9. “ If we don’t have a Facebook account, then we shouldn’t try to sell someone on why their brand needs on to reach their market.” John Herrington ChaosScenario.com

10. “ Engagement is the key and if we’re not participating personally in the conversation then it’s not our clients that don’t get it, it’ us.” John Herrington ChaosScenario.com

11. “ If you wouldn’t do it offline, don’t do it online. Would you ever go up to stranger and ask them to be your friend or introduce you to their buddies? I didn’t think so. Don’t do it online either.” Shama Hyder AfterTheLaunch.com

12. “ I’m afraid I lack the courage. I’m afraid I lack the conviction to experiment. I’m afraid of trying something different. I’m afraid of doing anything more than what’s expected.” Stephen Landau FindSubstance.com

13. “ I’m afraid to challenge. I’m afraid of always trying to do better. And I’m afraid to admit these thoughts, these concerns, these doubts. I’m afraid of the endless possibilities. I’m afraid to dream.” Stephen Landau FindSubstance.com

14. “ Change fear to love. You can’t be afraid.” Stephen Landau FindSubstance.com

15. “ So spending nine months gestating 30 seconds of narrative doesn’t seem like the best way for brands to keep in touch. But if we reframe the way we create, we can turn those films into online conversations.” Faris Yakob FarisYakob.com

16. “ Instead of thinking of executions as finished products, perhaps we should think of them as processes. Processes that go on and on after the ideas debut —endlessly remixed, reiterated, and redistributed.” Faris Yakob FarisYakob.com

17. “ In our human weakness, we easily forget that the Internet is a too l that’s meant to be used by us for our convenience and edification. We aren’t meant to be used by it .” Jeanne Dininni WritersNotes.net

18. “ In truth, the World Wide Web either connects us, bringing incredible richness into our lives, or it thoroughly entangles us, robbing us of everything that really matters.” Jeanne Dininni WritersNotes.net

19. “ So, here’s the question: Are you using it, or is it using you ?” Jeanne Dininni WritersNotes.net

20. “ The most important part of the conversation? Listening. And that’s what social media is for business owners —listening, and then taking follow-up action.” Tinu Abayomi-Paul FreeTrafficTip.com

21. “ When was the last time you devoted yourself to the listening side of a conversation? Not simply listening to the content, but also listening deeper, to the person behind the content? Engage them. Discover. It’s not about you.” Jeff Noble JourneyGuy.com

22. “ Why do so many social media ideas fail? It is because amid the dreams, excitement, and thrill of creating an idea, people fail to find a champion.” Gordon Whitehead TheMarketer.typepad.com

23. “ It’s insufficient to have a brilliant idea and to work hard at networking, Just trying rarely works. In other words, you can’t do it yourself.” Gordon Whitehead TheMarketer.typepad.com

24. “ The secret of successfully moving your idea from a conversation to action is to find your champion. A champion is concerned with results and connecting people.” Gordon Whitehead TheMarketer.typepad.com

25. Piet Wulleman GettingPeopleToDoThings.de “ What we need is not less involvement from consumers, but knowing how to turn this involvement into meeting out objectives and goals.”

26. Piet Wulleman GettingPeopleToDoThings.de “ What we need is not less conversation, but a better idea on how conversations can work for our brand.”

27. Piet Wulleman GettingPeopleToDoThings.de “ What we need is not less actions, but less random actions by random people.”

28. “ Companies who understand that customers extract value through their experience, not the product, and facilitate great customer experiences are thriving.” John I. Tudor TheWhetStoneEdge.com

29. John I. Tudor TheWhetStoneEdge.com “ Companies who don’t get it are forced to chase customers who are indifferent to them and their products.”

30. Paul Hebert Incentive-Intelligence.typepad.com “ Risk is the Goliath companies must face every day.”

31. www. AgeOfConversation .com

32. MONEY QUOTES