Authenticity is something we spend a lot of time talking about, but what does it mean? Tyler Willis offered his take at our November panel on online video and social media integration.

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Tyler starts by noting, “authenticity makes me understand who you are, and…amplifies who you are to me.” But just being authentic doesn’t mean you’ll be liked. If a company is trying to sell something that you don’t want to hear, it’ll turn you off. So, Tyler says before you focus on making authentic content, focus on being something people want. Be good at what you do and then be authentic.

The dilemma marketers face is whether you can plan these “authentic” moments, or let go of control and just let them happen. Tyler introduces the term stock-and-flow. Marketers are really good at creating stock content. A client pays money for a video and knows exactly where it goes, who will see it, and how it will be used. But the problem, he says, is that our world has started to move too fast for that. He suggests marketers use video to respond authentically to something that’s currently happening.