How do we act on social networks? How should we act on social networks?

What is the best way to leverage the branding, marketing and communications possibilities provided by social networking tools?

Faris Yakob, Chief Technology Strategist, McCann-Erickson New York, has a surprisingly simple answer: Be Nice, Or Leave.

It’s a simple dictum, one that he takes from our social interactions in the “real” world and applies to our digital lives.

For example, it doesn’t take much social grace to understand you’re boorish if you perpetually interrupt conversations, shout others down, always talk about how great you are, or constantly fixate on just you and not on the community within which you exist and operate. Doing so is not the way to win friends and influence people despite how we see some brands and organizations acting online.

Through a number of examples, Faris discusses how the art of listening, communicating and most importantly, participating as an equal — albeit important — voice among many is a path towards increasing brand trust, transparency and influence.

The video above was filmed in Spring 2009. I think its insight will last much longer.