Truths of Social Media

I am here at the New Comm Forum conference this week hoping for some insights on what I am am trying to do with social and digital media at the institution. I have met some really interesting people and heard some comforting news about what is happening in communications and social media across many industries. We are not as behind as we sometimes think we are.

In a conference full of communicators, and authors on communication practices you hear lots of sound bytes. Thus far Joe Jaffe, Jim Long and Richard Binhammer provided for me the best of the quotes.

These are the truths that resonated most with me.

• You have to be social to understand social media. This is not the right communication vehicle for people who don't like people.
  
  
• Social media is about the intersection between media and technology
  
  
• Nobody is in control --- Not communicators, not consumers nobody
  
  
• Humanity | Humility | Humor
  
  
• If you want to understand social media you have to be like a storm chaser, and drive right into the eye of the storm. You have to be a "all up in it" to really understand it

When I get home, you may hear me integrate these into my pitches, training and conversations. I think these will be important points to make in helping the nay-sayers and social media newbies to understand what this is and why and how to use it to meet our goals.

Feel free to use them too.