I came across a video of a talk that Zack Arias gave at Luminance 2012 Conference on what is social media. I instantly was nodding my head in agreement with a lot of what he said. Here are a just few takeaways:

• Social media is about telling your story.
• Stop the noise – the unending barrage of Top ten lists to be the best of the best.
• Send a clear signal up through the community tree
• It’s not about the number of followers or likes
• Build a community with deep roots (tree metaphor used in his presentation).
• Be yourself – no pretense, no facade. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not.
• Personal brand and professional brand are intertwined.
• Give your content away for free – stop trying to sell, capture emails, ebooks, etc.
• Social media is about being social – stop the constant push and interact.

The video is 40 minutes in length but if you are interested in watching an honest approach to social media you won’t be disappointed.  So grab a cup a coffee and danish and click play.

Zack Arias speaks at Luminance 2012 from PhotoShelter.com on Vimeo.