Keynote Speakers

Congratulations, you've mastered social media, now what?

Start by digging up every scrap of information that your customers, shareholders and business partners might find valuable and give it away online. Share everything that isn't nailed down, recommend your competitors and tell customers why they shouldn't buy more from you. We're in a crisis of trust, folks, and your credibility is the most valuable asset you've got.

We're drowning in information but we don't know who to believe. Mainstream media is in a tailspin, marketing messages are bouncing off DVRs and the first page of Google search results is more important than the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Yet some businesses are thriving amid this chaos. They're the ones that are insanely focused on customer satisfaction and committed to innovation at their core. They share till it hurts. And they're winning the trust battle.

For marketers, messages are now less important than messiahs. Turn your best people loose to tell your story as only they can, instill a culture of continuous sharing and be utterly transparent. Be remarkable or be irrelevant. It really works.

Paul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is a popular speaker who is known for his ability to simplify complex concepts using plain talk, anecdotes and humor. His award-winning 2007 book, The New Influencers, chronicles the changes in markets being driven by the new breed of bloggers and podcasters. It earned more than 100 favorable reviews. His second book, Secrets of Social Media Marketing, also earned wide critical acclaim. Paul was founding editor of online publisher TechTarget and editor-in-chief of the technology weekly Computerworld. He writes a monthly column for BtoB magazine and is an active blogger and media commentator.