Shel Israel is an expert on how businesses use social media in marketing, communications, and customer support.

He works with businesses of all sizes on social media strategy and high-level business issues. Among the companies he has helped are, SAP, Dell Computer,  Wells Fargo Bank, Sun Microsystems,  CNET, Intel and scores of startups.

He is author of Twitterville, How Businesses can Thrive in the  New Global Neighborhoods, [Portfolio, Sept. 2009]; co-author, of Naked Conversations--how blogs are changing the way businesses talk with  customers [Wiley, 2006], and The Conversational Corporation, a Dow Jones eBook [May 2009].

Israel has contributed editorially to BusinessWeek and FastCompanyTV. His GlobalNeighbourhoods.net, blog is author of one of the 100 most popular business blogs.

Prior to the advent of social media, Israel advised technology startup companies on communications strategy. He worked with the startups that initially launched Sun Microsystems, PowerPoint, PC sound and desktop mapping. When the Worldwide Web emerged, Israel consulting agency became the first to focus on internet startups and working with several memorable pioneers of that era.

Since 2005, Israel has focused exclusively on social media and how it is used in business, education, journalism, nonprofit organizations and in global personal communications.

Israel has been covered by Forbes magazine, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Los Angeles Times and many respected online and traditional publications.

He is a popular keynote speaker. Since 2006, he has addressed more than 100 audiences in nine countries on social media business topics.

He speaks on a wide variety of topics related to social media. Including:

• Joining the Conversation: moving from traditional marketing into conversational marketing
• Twitterville People: he tells the real world stories of how Twitter has dramatically helped companies grow, provide greater customer service and changed the dynamic of the human conversation
• How Social Media Improves your Organization: this highly customized talk is tailored to the professional interests of each audience.
• Online Enterprise communities: touring virtual spaces to find real business benefits.

Israel is a natural-born storyteller. He mixes humor into talks that are designed to make practical points. He selects from his portfolio of more than 100 case studies to illustrate social media best practices. Your audience will be inspired and surprised with what they can accomplish through the effective use of social media.

Israel is a senior fellow to the Society for New Media Research (SNCR) an organization that researches all aspects of social media for business, academia and government and on the board of advisors for the Social Media Club and SmartBrief on Social Media.