Today’s Leading Matters guest is Brian Fanzo, (aka isocialfanz). He leads the social strategy consulting agency, iSocialFanz, and hosts two podcasts (SMACTalk and FOMOFanz). He has built a community using live video streaming and has helped some of the largest companies in the world get serious about social media.

Recently I have been writing and talking more about why it is the media that matters most. The idea is that the free-flowing ease with which we can produce content and distribute it broadly is a utility that has the potential to impact literally every single area of our business. Brian Fanzo understands this and has dedicated his career to building a community so that he can help as many as possible finally figure out what their media strategy ought to be. He is someone to watch and pay attention to in 2017 and beyond.

HIGHLIGHTS

Pager Carrying Bonafides
Brian is on the cusp of the millennial generation, something that he makes clear by calling himself a ‘pager carrying millennial.’ To prove it I asked him to lay down some pager carrying shorthand. He passed the test.

Early Opportunities Must Be Identified, Exploited
Brian’s first gig was an entry level help desk employee for a cyber security company. He eventually turned that into a leadership training and deployment solution for the company traveling the world to educate every branch of the United States Military in his subject matter.

Real Risk Involves Change
Leaving what he calls a corporate dream job, Brian stepped out on his own in 2012 and, perhaps for the first time in his young career, understood first hand the challenge that comes with big change. Brian has ridden the wave of change to rise to a position where he can now help those he serves to brace the ride down their own crest of change.

Yes the Media Matters Most
In the new world of a more personal and accessible media landscape, Brian believes companies have to figure out how to use this ever evolving tool to break down the barrier between brand and customer.

Forget Millennials, Gen Z Hates Disruption
You think that Millennials are turning communications conventions upside down? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Gen Z is just entering their twenties and grabbing their attention with methods that don’t engage them simply will not work.

How Do You Ignite Change? Find a Lighter.
Brian’s work with SAP has transformed an aspect of how the titanic enterprise software companh is communicating and connecting with their customers and prospects. However, this change was only made possible by a change agent, Ursula Ringham, inside the SAP walls. The takeaway? Someone needs to be the one to fearlessly embrace the risk and challenge of change.

Swing For the Fences After Taking a Couple of Base On Balls
The work with SAP didn’t start at their massive annual user conference, it started at small niche events more isolated from the broader SAP customer ecosystem. The key was executing well at those events. With those wins in hand the path was laid to applying the approach on the biggest SAP stage in the western hemisphere.

Tell The Story
Community building is the future of business, Brian believes, and the best way to build that community is to clearly communicate the story of your product or service as it relates to the lives of those in the marketplace.

No Excuse Not To Know Your Customers
If you really and truly want to know what your audience cares about and who they are there is a treasure chest of social data to clue you in.