Ranging from “Name Dropper” to “Wallflower,” the app makes conclusions about your tweeting behavior. So, what about my (lynneastep) social mojo? According to the result, my social mojo is “BFF”: “Your volume of @replies makes you everybody’s best bud.” Accurate? Well, I am pretty friendly if I do say so myself.

Though the “secret algorithm” is facetious (it’s about as scientific as a Cosmo quiz), it’s a fun way to spark word of mouth about their new homepage.

The seven words which best describe this are below, thanks to Internet pioneer and venture capitalist, Fred Wilson.

• Global
• Open
• Social
• Intelligent
• Playful
• Mobile
• Instant

Why these words? Why do we believe these are important, vital tenets of the new wave of communications?

Global – because the Internet is borderless but also because campaigns must break through the clutter and speak to everyone on a personal basis.

Open – because clients which are transparent will reap the benefits of consumer trust.

Social – because the new campaign must be good enough to get people talking about it. But social because we are seeing a new era of communications where people can, and do, talk about the brands/organizations they use. More importantly, these organizations and brands can now talk back!

Intelligent – because we must not talk down to consumers any more.

Playful – because we want to have fun!

Mobile – because consumers are no longer confined to the cinema, to the TV or to their computers. Mobiles and smart phones are the fourth screen and increasingly the method of choice for users to access the Internet.

Instant – because who wants to wait? The Internet has made us impatient consumers of information and those clients who make their customers wait will be penalised for it.

What do you think? Are there any words you’d add – and why?

Today, organizations are embracing the online and social media space in two distinct ways. Some organizations that have embraced the social Web to communicate their messages with their key markets using a number of different online communications channels. Some companies have thrived to be more open in terms of allowing the public to go behind the scenes. Elements that pull the curtain back on certain organizations are being added to corporate sites more and more frequently. Corporate blogs and liberal blogging policies implemented by other organizations allow employees to share what they do on a day-to-day basis with their stakeholders. This thesis is becoming less and less relevant as organizations begin to utilize social media and social media marketing.

Even a once staid and faceless corporation like Microsoft has opened itself up with internal videos and by actively encouraging employees at all levels to blog and to share their work with the outside world.

Ten years from now, more and more organizations will follow in Microsoft’s steps. They will be open to scrutiny and will continue to win the trust of their key stakeholders once they’ve stepped into the online space. People have a human need to want to connect with each other and we are seeing more people openly and willingly interact with the organizations and brands that they are most passionate about. Facebook, for example, is a social networking site that we see vast numbers of people engaging with each other and with brands on Facebook fan pages.

Although the above thesis may not stand as strong ten years from now, this book is a must-read for all marketers looking to effectively understand why they need to change their marketing strategy and to learn how to communicate with their key audience. As Michael Wolfe puts it, “Love it or hate it, no one with a stake in the online scene can afford to ignore what this book is saying.”