Here’s an article about the potential end of “free TV,” as the nation’s top networks contemplate moving to a cable-like pay-TV model to compensate for declining viewership and lost ad revenue.

The lesson for marketers on the road ahead: we’ll have to be flexible, as old rules are cast aside and new opportunities emerge.

I’m struck by today’s images of protesters in Iran, some of which are no doubt captured stealthily via cell phones and smart phones. By actual witnesses and participants… not professional journalists.

The lesson for future marketers: authenticity and immediacy can trump slick and polished.

I’m bemused by this story about teens working to curb their Facebook obsession. Hopefully, they’ll share their advice with their increasingly obsessed parents and grandparents!

The lesson for soothsaying marketers: social media has inserted itself firmly and fixedly into the mainstream. We must embrace this, and leverage its potential.

Indeed, technological and behavioral changes have quickly, profoundly changed how we market products and services. And yet, at the core of all this evolution, consumers still exhibit a fundamental desire for engagement (such as fabulous cable shows like Breaking Bad or Mad Men), truth (from the front lines of Iran or anywhere) and a social connection (online and in real life). These are the timeless tenets of effective marketing. Stick to them, and let’s go boldly into the new decade!

Ahem…after I check my Facebook Live Feed.

(Serious fans of Glee call themselves “Gleeks.” As far as I’m concerned, Gleek is a Superfriends space monkey. But that’s a debate for another day.)

As Ad Age opines, “There is no other show on TV right now that gets as much free, voluntary social media marketing courtesy of fans.”

So how can your business hit the right notes and bust the right moves to engender this kind of enthusiasm? Short of hiring the glorious Jane Lynch, the lesson to take away from this viral success is that you need to make an emotional connection with your audience – in your stores, in your marketing, at every possible touchpoint.

It all comes back to your brand. Is it conversation-worthy? Frame it right and customers and prospects will happily help sing your praises.

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.