Ben Stroup

I first came across Brian Solis when I stumbled onto his magnum opus, Engage. It is one of the books that I now recommend regularly for anyone interested in social media. His investment in producing written, audio, and video content is overwhelming and — even better — what he has to say is substantive and helpful. (Not something you can say about everyone.)

These 35 social media insights are a great reminder of how powerful social media can be for businesses looking to expand their reach, engage with a specific audience, and move people in a specific direction. Here are some of my favorite:

1. Our opportunity with social media is to do something more meaningful than just “marketing”.

6. Social media is an earned privilege. It’s not a right, but a rite of passage. We have to compete for that Like or Follow every single day.

12. Social consumers spend 1.5x than regular online consumers. They see the world differently and bring it to life through use of social technologies. They connect what you do as brands to their networks of influence.

24. Influence is the capacity to change behavior, affect outcomes. Your job is to bridge cause and effect.

34. The future of business is not created, it’s co-created.

Which of the 35 insights jumped off the screen for you?

Ben Stroup is a content activist in a post-paragraph world. He is chief broker of opportunity at Ben Stroup Enterprises. Connect with Ben via email, Twitter, and Google+. Subscribe via email to learn how to use content to move people to action.