Messages to the Brand also apply to the Person.

I was recently engaged in a conversation with a colleague regarding their trepidation to jump into the conversation and "put themselves out there" in regards to the social netmosphere, (a term I use in my own thinking, not necessarily part of the English language) and it prompted me to draw some parallels to the messages we are delivering to our clients. If you think about it, the same requirements apply to you as a "Person" participant as apply to the "Brand" participant.

1. You have to decide to participate. If you are dragged in, its the wrong attitude, and you won't benefit.
   
2. You have to be willing to let go of control. Your words/thoughts become part of the whole, to be shaped and used as others see fit. You have to be comfortable with that.
   
3. You have to be willing to hear the bad along with the good. Not everyone will agree with you, or even acknowledge you all the time.
   
4. You have to talk with not at others. Nobody likes a sandbox bully. It's "we" now, not "me."

Since we know the its the minority that contribute, perhaps if we acknowledge these "objections" to participating in the conversation on a personal level, the same way we educate brands, that minority would become the majority. Can you imagine the power that would bring?