We all know that, thanks to technology, everything about everything is changing. You can pick up a million other books to describe the surface of those changes, or to wax poetic on what the changes might/maybe/could possibly mean. Most people still associate social with marketing when, in reality, it's much more than that. Social is... well, social. The way in which relate to one another and that affects business, leadership, and even your career. This deck (co-created with the amazing Tara Hunt) is meant to complement the book, which was first published September 2012 (and named by Fast Company as a best business book of 2012). It offers a clear breakdown of what the Social Era means now, and how best to take advantage of its benefits in the near and distant future. Each of us need to challenge traditional thinking and it helps if we use examples to show others what "future" (actually, present) looks like.

1. r u l e s
for the
social
era
ELEVEN
n i l o f e r m e r c h a n t

2. one.
connections
create
value

3. Previous eras of
marketing were about
reaching as many
people as possible. He
who yelled the
loudest and the
furthest won.

4. “The results of a new study
support what many people
intuitively know about
winning political elections:
the party that has a more
connected voter network
usually receives more votes.
”
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-election-strongly-voter-network-key.html#jCp

5. The social era is about
connecting people, things and
ideas. It’s not how many you
reach, it’s how many you
connect.

6. two.
community is
longevity
“If you want
to go fast, go
alone. If you
want to go far,
go with
others.”African Proverb

7. Relationships between companies and customers
had become incredibly transactional.
The Social Era burst that bubble.

8. 42% of customers expect social media
responses from their inquiries (within
the hour!) (study by GetSatisfaction)
but it’s not just about customer support...
86%
of customers want to engage retail brands via
mobile/social channels if they believe that it
would improve future expectations
(study by EmpathicaInc. http://www.luxurydaily.com/82pc-consumers-want-to-
engage-retail-brands-via-mobile-study/)
and by engagement, they mean mutually beneficial interactions. not
more transactions. but it does lead to transactions...
30%
Increase in sales because of social media
interactions. (study by LoyaltyOne, Northwestern and Ivey Business
School: http://loyalty.com/knowledge/articles/social-media-payoff-missing-link-
between-social-media-roi

9. These are just two of the shining examples of how
attention to building relationships with customers
leads to loyalty and longevity.

10. but we don’t call them customers anymore...

11. three. no more “consumer”
GAME
OVER

12. BUYERS SELLERS
COLLECTORS MAKERS
BROWSERS CURATORS
AUDIENCE ENTERTAINERS

13. the audience are entertainers
the buyers are sellers
the browsers are curators
entertainers are the audience
sellers are buyers
curators are browsers

14. this is a good thing, because...

15. four.
the power of
co-creation
“people will
support what
they help
create.”post-it note at the front reception in Office Nomads,
a coworking space in Portland, OR.

16. Since it’s launch in 2009, Kickstarter has helped
raise over $607 million for over 45,000 projects.
*from Kickstarter Stats

17. Modcloth went from a dorm room side project to
$100M in sales (40% annual growth) against much
bigger retailers because they work with their
customers to do everything from merchandising to
creating whole new lines.

18. with
in the social
era, you sell
not TOy o u r c u s t o m e r s

19. When community invests in an idea,
it also co-owns its success.

20. five.
celebrate
your
onlyness

21. When we define ourselves by what
others want, we please no one,
take no risks and deny our
uniqueness. We are kissing a
‘moving butt’.
What do you
want me to be?

22. Each of us is standing in a spot no one else occupies. That unique
perspective is born of our accumulated experience, perspective, and our
vision. This is our onlyness.

23. Jack Dorsey, founder of both Twitter and
Square, is the epitome of onlyness.
Coming up with two completely unique ideas that solve
real problems from a very unique angle requires a person
with a unique perspective.
Jack’s accumulated experience, perspective and vision is
what gives him the ability to dream up these ideas. His
onlyness is why nobody else could have done the same.

24. comparisonitis
what’s the opposite of onlyness?

25. “Be yourself;
everyone else is
already taken.”
Oscar Wilde

26. six.
collaboration
over control

27. big wig
vp wig vp wig vp wig
middle wig middle wig middle wig middle wig middle wig middle wig
peons
had ideas & made decisions
just told to get strategy done
do what they were told to do (but have lots of great ideas to improve
things that aren’t listened to).
the pre-social era way

28. The Air Sandwich:
when those at the top give orders and those at the
bottom are just expected to deliver, but there is nothing
in between to collect feedback from front line workers
to become a learning organization, improving ideas.

29. the social era way
big wig
vp wig
vp wig vp wig
vp wig
talent talent
talent
talent
enabling the
connected and
talented individuals in
the organization
through systems and
leadership.
understanding that
talent and ideas can
come from all
corners of the
organization (and
even from outside).

30. Powerful organizations look less like an 800-
pound gorilla and more like fast, fluid,
flexible networks of connected individuals -
like, say, a herd of 800 nimble gazelles.

31. seven.
mistakes can
build trust

32. mistaken
tweet by
drunk employee
awesome
response by
Red Cross

33. Bodyform (feminine products) responds to concerned post on Facebook with
hyper-honest + funny video - gets millions of views organically.

34. Sainsbury’s has a great sense of
humor + humility + it pays in loyalty
and organic PR.

35. eight.learn. unlearn. (repeat)

36. unlearning• different canvas, different brush: there are no ‘best
practices’ because there are no constant variables.
• shift happens: metrics or assumptions from the past are not
necessarily useful for the future
• avoid analysis paralysis: don’t overplan...iterate! Try, fail,
learn, adjust, repeat.
• flex your openness: great ideas come from everywhere.
• skate to where the puck is going: don’t do what everyone
else is doing or what is working for you. Figure out what’s next.

37. TEDTED
TED - once notoriously closed and
protective of their brand - first opened
up talks on TED.com for the world,
THEN opened up the ability for anyone
to organize local TEDx conferences.
They recognized the brand as a
closed, protected entity couldn’t be
contained with the growth of the social
web + participatory media. So they
unlearned their tried and true ways
and collaborated with their audience
to change.
In 2012, there were over 2,700 TEDx
events worldwide. It hasn’t been
without bumps, but they remain agile.

38. An organization can
and should be
perpetually
reinventing its
constructs.

39. nine.
design for
sharing.

40. In 2012, artist Beck released his new album, but
there wasn’t any performed music. It was sheet
music and he let his fans interpret it. There are
14,600 results for ‘Beck Song Reader’ on YouTube
and thousands more on SoundCloud.

41. ten.
people don’t
share
companies
or products,
they share
ideas, values
+ purpose.

42. Lululemon doesn’t sell athletic wear. It sells a ‘self-
improvement’ lifestyle

43. Dove doesn’t sell soap. It sells a movement towards
healthy body image and self-esteem.

44. Oreo isn’t about the cookie. It’s about promoting
playfulness. It connects to things that matter to you.

45. Chipotle isn’t a fast food chain. It’s about promoting
and supporting sustainable and local farming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

46. these are brands people love to share.

47. eleven.
(there are no rules)

48. forget everything I just told you.

49. The rules change
daily (sometimes by
the minute) in the
social era. Accept
that your job is to
stay alert to what
happens next to
figure out what
assumptions need
to be tuned.

50. thank you.
Nilofer Merchant
Author. Speaker. Corporate Director.
www.nilofermerchant.com
@nilofer