Social media is an open, democratized new media channel—but it's also a powerful set of interactive tools for communicating and interacting Social media is a cultural phenomenon that is NOT going away (even if one social media brand falters...and plenty will) It's about a human conversation—not talking "at" or broadcasting "to" others Keep it real, authentic and genuine—or forget it Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube are not the entirety of social media Social media can be an extraordinary brand—building asset — it can also be a negative word of mouth accelerant Social media success takes time and patience—you've got to stick with it And, your social media efforts should not be relegated to an "intern" (like too many companies are doing)