Andy Beal’s conversation at the SXSW Day Stage spurred alot of thoughts, in fact a small rant ;) More on Andy’s book in a moment.

My not so radical observation is that social media and the “new” world of managing your reputation online is a hot topic these days. Having spent a few years trying to figure out emerging media and consulting with corporate clients on such topics, I’m often the first to say that I’m not an expert but I am close enough, curious enough or have put some of these new methods into practice to give folks and understanding of what’s going on and how they might apply best practices to their business. That said, I see social media as one of these new grey areas where I believe people need to be very wary of big pronouncements and selling ultimate solutions.  And thee are plenty of folks that will do just that.

Many of us have seen this at conferences, or in print.  Alot of people presuming they know EXACTLY what to do. That they are “experts”, with proven methods to fit most scenarios for all those willing to cough up the cash. For the most part, this seems pretty opportunistic if not totally a bunch of shite. In fact it reminds me of all the Mark Burnett/Simon Cowell hype about branded entertainment years ago. Of course social media is important, its becoming a central part of our daily lives and a new reality for marketing and branding folks. But it alone (creating blogs, SEE strategies, or social networking pages) will never be the only method for us to go to market.  More importantly no one knows exactly how its going to work 1 month, 6 month, or one year from now.

SO… (I digress) getting to the point. What was lovely about Andy’s conversation, a walk through his book “Radically Transparent”, is that it was a very honest, straight forward and practical look at whats happening in social media. How corporations are succeeding and failing at managing their reputations online. A nice breathe of fresh air in the fog of social media hyperbole. I have yet to read through the book in detail, but it looks like a perfect roadmap, foundational guide for anyone struggling to understand the space.

In fact, I may have to give Andy a follow up call myself. Given my online persona gets trumped (or confused) with a male porn star , an east ender, or an international DJ, I could use a few lessons in radical transparency myself.

Check out Andy’s book at the SXSW IF! Book store, or buy it here. Keep tabs on the thinking of his team, and Andy’s own thoughts at the Marketing Pilgrim.