Not that this is a confession of any sort, but I am about to admit a guilty pleasure – I am now using Pinterest (the visually-appealing social pinboard site that allows you to collect and share the things you love within categories and self-defined boards) have a look at mine to get a better understanding of what the hype is all about.

Which brings me full circle to my earlier point – social media is a bit like Confessions of a Shopaholic in that being social is in a very real way much like a confessional – you as the consumer are telling brands what you’re watching, what you’re listening to, which park you’re using for the morning jog, which recipes you’re about to try out for a dinner party all of this is leading to the  explosion of “big data” and in turn the challenge for brands is to understand the individuality of these emerging tastemakers within a users social graph.

The heart of social media is about sharing  whether we’re sharing a check-in or an image via Instagram or a video via YouTube Slam – the very action of sharing places the consumer at the heart of the action and the center of their universe making each individual a potential tastemaker to someone else which is why every social network of any sort utilizes the principle of following and followers.

To borrow from a familiar saying and to give it a social media twist – let’s all say it together now: Behind every good social consumer is a good social brand. So how can brands focus on the social consumer and make sure they are seen as the guide to tastemaker, the personal concierge, the muse to the tastemaker – focus on being relevant and engaging to the social consumer.

Easy as it sounds right?  Absolutely, let’s just give it some context. For brands to truly connect with the social consumer – put the brand in their head, understand the psyche of the social consumer – let’s go back to Psych 101 in first year university and revisit the needs hierarchy analysis.  As a human being we have needs and wants. The social customer also has needs and wants.  The need might come in the form of customer care via social networks (the most established channels being Facebook and Twitter). The want might come from our desire to purchase a new pair of shoes and in the process we turn to our social network for recommendations and advice.

Advice and recommendations – the fashion industry has been doing this well before the Netflix algorithm became F8 developer conference water cooler talk and well before Facebook even came on the scene with it’s people you may know suggestions.  The fashion industry via look-books, style guides and all around tips has become such an ingrained part of life that it’s hard to imagine life without the likes of spring collections and beauty tips.

Great brands that are the muses to the rise of the tastemakers will time and time again resonate with their audience by reinforcing three simple values throughput their social media channels:

• Purpose – what the brand rallies around (hint: put your customer at the center of this point)
• Value – what is important to your brand (hint: is there a customer care channel via Twitter or a special cause the brand supports or a specific form of engagement such as a f-commerce exclusive for fans)
• Personality – your brand’s unique voice (hint: are you reflecting the brands heritage within your social media content, are you experimenting to keep the approach fresh and engaging? Of equal if not greater importance is your brand speaking the language of your customers?)