As expected, Brian Solis lived up to the hype at SfAMA’s event:  ‘Brian Solis & the End of Business as Usual.’ Speaking to a crowded, full house at Hult International Business School in San Francisco, Solis reviewed the key highlights of his new book:  The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution, his newest, following the successful, Engage. (Which, ever the humble, “guru” and self-described social media leader, he said did not exactly take on the success that he had hoped within the Executive suite.)

My key takeaway (among many) was that if you are looking to bring social media into your organization, find an existing obstacle or challenge in your business and engage social media avenues in such a way as to address it.  Also, start with your employees as base, and have them commit to the social aspect you are looking for customers to participate in.  It is key, Solis related, to know and realize that the consumer today is “expect(ing) to engage in new channels…their way.” Therefore, you must have a presence in all of them — (including Pinterest).  You, as a brand, are now in relationship with the “Connected Consumer.”

Finally, he ended by reiterating what his Engage brought to light: have relevance, strive for resonance, and have empathy with your customers. With these last two key aspects of relation to the customer, you reach the ultimate goal in the type of relationship you want and strive to have with them.  So, “think like the customer,” go out and change your business from the inside, out to involve social and innovate in such a way as to connect with and gain influence with the social & “always-on” connected consumer.