Recap: Boston’s Social Media Breakfast 8

Posted July 1, 2008 by Bob Collins

There was another great turnout at last week’s Social Media Breakfast 8, with around 90-plus people joining us at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge. SMB8 was all about video and using video to engage and build communities.

The lineup for the panel discussion part of the breakfast gathering was:

• Emily Belyea and Ben Grossman, principal at The Plenary Group
• Jeff Glasson, director of social media & technology at PerkettPR
• Larry Lawfer, YourStorys founder and president
• Rob Lane, CEO/co-founder of Overlay.TV

The presenters repeatedly mentioned authenticity when discussing why video is one of the fastest-growing media used in social media community building. It’s hard to fake being genuine and transparent when trying to connect through a visual medium. People can see through scripted, over-produced, and controlled messaging. They want to be engaged through raw, honest, passionate and creatively captured and shared moments on issues that they connect with and interest them. It’s important to remember, first and foremost, that consumers and communities are not demographics, markets or influence groups – they’re people.

Thanks again to Rob Lane and Overlay.TV for sponsoring the breakfast. (Want to create your own overlay for a video? Here’s how you do it.)

For a nice synopsis for each of the presentations, please check out Just Kate’s blog post.

Video Presentations

Ben Grossman & Emily Belyea Presenting at SMB8 from Bob Collins on Vimeo.

For more information and videos on their Social Media program for AOL – check out www.talktorunningman.com.

Rob Lane Presents at Social Media Breakfast 8 from Bob Collins on Vimeo.

Rob even developed a special Overlay.TV demo based on last months Social Media Breakfast 7.

Links to online conversations and mentions of SMB8

Also, Len Edgerly, one of New England’s finest podcasters, featured SMB8 in the most recent episode of his Audio Pod Chronicles podcast: “Breakfast of Videos.”

What’s next?
We’d like to keep the conversation going. How are you using or seeing video used to engage and building communities? Share examples of great works and good deeds in this area with us.

And of course, independent of the tools or media, what other community-building initiatives are you seeing that inspire and interest you? There are enough examples and time spent on programs gone wrong, so let’s focus on sharing initiatives done right.

Share your examples in the comments section below.