"Action beats inaction."

The real movers and shakers recognize that it's better to be moving and building momentum. 2011 can be summed up as the year of engagement and relationships in motion setting the stage for a year of action and lasting impact.

This year provided a fantastic opportunity for individuals on the Central Coast and Silicon Valley to come together and address some of the hottest topics facing the Latino market. Latino2 and #Cause2012 SCtSMC stand out as two shining moments of 2011.

Latino2 in Silicon Valley

What do you get when you invite aspiring Hispanic engineers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, a new media guru, passionate foodies, and the White House to take over a computer history museum right smack in the middle of Silicon Valley?

A whole lot of reverberating forward motion across the Latinosphere and an engagement think tank.

"What you don't know about your online reputation is going to hurt you." - Brian Solis on the need for brands to be in-tune with the many conversations taking place across the social media landscape.

#Cause2012 Social Change through Social Media Conference

Real purpose and meaning form the core of a true differentiation strategy. Success isn't built on ability and processes alone. The most important question facing today's organizations is the question of "Why?" 

We know who you are and what you do but we don't quite understand why you do it. Purpose matters in the eyes of consumers who are increasingly searching for brands and individuals who not only offer great widgets and remarkable experiences but also lead the pack in manufacturing meaning.

Video Link: (The new face of America.)

Having a unique story and sharing it with the world is something special.

Who would have thought that on a brisk October morning on a wonderful stage set in a beautifully intimate theater with a rich 45 year history where the likes of Kathy Bates, Robin Williams, and Belita Moreno (among others) have delighted crowds that we would find some of California's most dedicated agents and artists of community building?

On October 29th, 2011 the PCPA Theater at Allan Hancock College (A Hispanic-Serving Institution) was transformed into an ideation hub where the center of focus included social media best practices for driving organizational capacity building, increasing Latino engagement, and community organizing.

"Mi Causa es Su Causa." (My cause is your cause.) sums up the atmosphere rather nicely.

Both of these landmark events served as some of the most rewarding and engaging experiences of 2011. A huge standing ovation to all the outstanding individuals and organizations who made Latino2 and #Cause2012 a reality. The takeaways are numerous but none greater than the chance to call some great people...friends.

Here's to a great 2011 and a divine 2012!

Having recently participated in the #cause2012 Social Change through Social Media Conference (I am a co-producer) never before has it been clearer that Latinos have played and will continue to play an integral role in the changing American landscape.

The overall focus of the conference held at Allan Hancock College was bridging the gap between community organizing and today's new media tools. Of course, as a new media connoisseur it was a can't miss opportunity to participate in an event where social media and technology were the stars of the show. 

In fact, at one point we had the exciting privelege of conferencing in Juan Sepúlveda, Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, via Skype! The audience was locked in and impressed with this unique experience which showcased the power of today's new media communication tools. Mission accomplished!

Overall, the conference was a beginning point for what is sure to be landmark activity in creating a groundswell of momentum that impacts the Latinosphere on multiple fronts from community organizing, marketing, public relations, and education to voter engagement, health, job growth, and beyond.

Activate! Spark! Inspire!

The answer: iOS integration.

Here are some screenshots:

http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/06/what-twitter-ios-5-integration-will-look-like-screenshots/

The perks of conversation are too few and far in between. We must remedy the situation by maintaining a constant effort to keep our fans and followers interested. Recency breeds reaction...and our focus as content creators should always be on keeping things fresh. It's good to be so fresh and so clean that our audience keeps coming back for more.

Consistency matters in the chase for relevance.

A small but strong reminder as we continue our social media journey.

Popularity is a tricky thing. It's measure can reside with the masses or take up camp in the mind of an individual striving to capture attention and generate interest. In the journey towards validation, we often mistake a good sized crowd for an engaged audience. In the world of social media, being present matters over presence.

There is no engagement in numbers. Data might paint a nice picture and speak to quantity but quality interactions and true conversation take a crowd from mass to measurable impact.

Let's not strive for numbers but rather value-added interaction.

This is where true synergy lies.

You wake up one morning inspired ready to take hold of the future and create a social movement. Maybe it was a simple question that caught your attention and interest or perhaps a little unexpected motivation. The next thing you know…you’re in hyper-drive fully engaged in the transformation from brainstorming to the awesome arena of…action! Armed with the strength and reach of the internet, your every desire is to plant a seed, water it, and watch it grow!

The passion and fire we experience in those moments of ideation and inspiration should serve as the fuel to keep the train moving full speed ahead.

However, the road to actualization and reality can be quite ferocious causing us to lose sight of our values, mission, and what really matters.

Following are four helpful steps for making sure your influential and game-changing group is in for the long haul. (And I’m not even diving into the dynamics of contingency planning!)

Communicate with Your Audience

It is vital during all stages of growth to communicate expectations.

Empower Your People

The old saying is true. There is indeed power in synergy.

Trust Your Trailblazers

These are the individuals who have the passion, dedication, and genuine interest to help your community flourish and inspire a Revolución.

Stay True To Your Roots

Everyone has a reason for starting something big or small. As organizations and communities evolve we must stay true to our roots of authenticity, resonance, likability, approachability, and passion.

Final Takeaways

It’s not the size of your organization that matters but rather the people that make it tick.

And remember…every opportunity is a chance to build a bridge or cut down support cables.

Have fun, thrive, and watch your baby grow!

The social media frenzy has seemed to take a bit of a backseat lately. Not everyone is talking about how to take advantage of social media and the role of communication. Not much of a bubble but it does seem that social media is growing up. Social media has taken hold of various industries causing a stir and helping to open up numerous opportunities for greater communication.

Brands of all shapes and sizes seem to have their own accounts on the more popular networks which is expected and certainly does add an element of validation to those who have supported new media. However, three elements exist that will determine the success of one's social media efforts.

1. Measurement

2. Analysis

3. Learning

Social media has opened up a tremendous amount of information sharing and conversation. The challenge lies in our ability to use this activity and turn it into bottomline growth.

Some key questions:

How can we truly measure the conversation stream?

Where do we focus our analytics?

What windows of opportunity exist as we participate in social media?

The individuals and brands who focus their efforts on these three elements will achieve significant returns on their investment. Success in this arena is not solely based on data but rather on creating and capturing true audience value. 

Every interaction is an opportunity to offer world-class customer service. No customer is too big or too small. Each person we come into contact with deserves the best service and attention we can muster up.

The principles and importance of quality customer service apply to all interactions regardless of industry or technology.

We must ask ourselves the following questions:

• What are we doing to reward others for their peaked interest in our brand and what we have to offer?
• Are my twitter followers acknowledged for their retweets and mentions?
• Do we treat every interaction as if we’re speaking to the C.E.O. or does our conversational tone vary based on the position, popularity, or experience of our audience?
• Are we consistent in offering quality material across all our communication mediums?

Important questions for us to ask as we continue towards building a strong social graph and rewarding fan base.

To be original or not to be…that is the question. In the world of new media communication...content is king. The value of quality information cannot be overstated in an arena where audiences are seeking insightful, novel, and useful material.

The blogosphere and world of new media in general is inundated with mediocrity in terms of game-changing and original content that resides on the cusp of innovation. This type of thinking is validated when we consider the fact that many of today’s leading curators pull material from the same well.

We can talk about the concepts of tribes, social graphs, and our sphere of influence but the real excitement comes from those moments in time where we discover the potential of building our own well and content silos.

The paradox of originality exists because we fail to recognize the value of noise reduction. Sharing information from the same well or visiting similar silos magnifies the noise that exists in the digital space.

Original content isn’t only king…it dominates.

Winning friends and influencing people is the heart and soul of social media. Individuals and brands are on a mission to capture audience attention, build trust, and turn fans into advocates. In "How to Win Friends and Influence People", American writer and lecturer Dale Carnegie offers readers several tips, tools, and strategies for making new friends comprising a relevant study for today's students of new media.

Six Ways to Make People Like You

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is, to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in the terms of the other person's interest.
6. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.

Clearly, success is built on the art of personalization.