Last week I met Global Business Celebrity, Jeffrey Hayzlett and interviewed Scott Stratten, author of Un-marketing.

I attended Get Schmart in Melbourne and virtually attended the Sydney conference via the Twitter stream. When marketers talk to marketers, you might expect a bit of hyperbole, some  polish, fancy words for old concepts and some self-promotion. There was that, but it was in the minority.

The key themes, on how brands should interact in social media, were anything but smoke and mirrors.

If you suck offline, you’ll suck online

Jeffrey Hayzlett put it best, “If you suck offline, you’ll suck online.” It is not an original concept, but it’s put deliciously bluntly by Hayzlett. Grant Smith of Edelman often discusses on his blog the fact that issues don’t exist online. Issues exist, and people communicate about them online.

For brands which suck, social media is a blessing and a curse. Flaws will be highlighted, swiftly and loudly. The opportunity lies in how you react to them.

Be authentic

All of the experts I spoke to and heard speak, talked about being authentic. Taking ownership when mistakes happened, and communicating in a human way.

Be awesome

Scott Stratten, author of Un-Marketing delivered a punchy, energetic presentation the crux of which was, everything is an opportunity to be awesome. Scott and I had a chat afterwards about social media. I particularly liked his take on using a brand spokesperson, so that communities can connect with the brand on a human level. I think we’ll see a lot more of that in the future.