No matter if we talk about life, business or both – we strongly believe that PEOPLE are making the biggest difference. And this applies especially for success in the social web:

• People as decision makers: It takes somebody to take the decision that it is time to move forward, open up and allocate the resources needed to get started. It also takes a strong commitment and a comprehensive awareness of both the opportunities AND threads of your social media engagement. Many CEOs still didn`t get it!

• People as customers: They are the million voices in the social web and the reason why brands and business need to listen and be around.  They form communities, fuel word-of-mouth and at the end of the day they bring the money (and love) to the table which marketers are longing for so badly.

• People as influencers: Like with the law of diffusion of innovations it takes somebody to start a movement. The first movers and early adopters set the stage for campaigns, products/services to go viral and reach the masses. Think about the role of bloggers in spreading the word during political movements.

• People as communicators: Somebody has to be the spokesperson and communicate with the outside world. Call them community managers or social media managers who translate the needs of the social customers into actionable steps for their company and vice verca. They add personality to business and become some kind of ambassadors who make brands approachable.

• People as change makers: What influencers are in the outside world change makers are in the inside of an enterprise. They are the ones who make change happen by spreading the word internally, pushing the limits, creating an understanding of the new culture of marketing and bringing the silos together.

Too many times we forget how important people really are. There is no software which will do the job for you. Outsourcing might be lucrative for other areas of your value-chain but PLEASE not at this point. Nobody will be able to do the job better than you and your passionate team supported by smart technologies. It is time to peopleize!