Check out this great video chock full of SocNet facts.  The big idea I took away from this video was the concept that your Brand has to be invited to the party.  To me that is the big shift we marketers need to embrace.  Note that it’s not the Brand’s party!  Your brand has to be invited to the party by the consumer.  The party is happening on Facebook, on Twitter, on the iPhone, on MySpace, and soon on your TV.

Yes, traditional and online display advertising is not dead.  But it now must be considered as a part of a holistic whole that adds up to a highly engaged consumer.  The era of the big budgets going to TV and Print while non-traditional, PR, and Promotions followed behind nibbling on the left overs is over.  The era of a combined communications plan that leverages all of the available tools to surround the consumer is here.  And those tools need to be used to get your brand invited to the party.

Thought’s on how to get your brand invited:

• Add real value:  The folks that keep getting invited party after party add value to the overall experience.  The funny guy, the guy that can mix drinks, and guy that brings the ladies, all get invited time and time again.  Same thing with brands — add real value and you’ll be invited.
• Be a brand that your target consumer would want to be associated with:  Just like a real party, to get invited you’re going to need to  fit in.  For a brand that means you have to define a strong DNA that your target consumer can identify with.  If your brand has a wishy-washy nondescript DNA then don’t expect to be invited — the brands that scream their DNA loud and clear will get in the door.
• Listen and Add to the Conversation:  To get into the party and stay involved you need a communication strategy that keeps the conversation going.  Stop thinking “Campaigns” and start thinking “Ongoing Dialog”.  A “Campaign” to me suggests a hit and run approach that can leave your audience wondering “what was that and what comes next”. An ongoing dialog makes your Brand the life of the party — that old friend that keeps everyone engaged.  For a great example of this follow Dunkin Donuts.