Arianna Huffington, chair, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, delivered a keynote at Vocus's Demand Success 2013 on "The Brave New World of 'New Media.'"

She'd just arrived in town at 4:00 AM because of a series of missed connections, but the audience would never have known it from her polished, entertaining, and informative presentation.

Here are some of the insights that Arianna shared during her remarks, and a bonus video from a reception afterward in which she graciously took a few minutes to answer a question for MarketingProfs.

Behind the scenes with @ariannahuff at #demand13! :) http://t.co/gjMxnLMWsb

— Kerry O'Shea Gorgone (@KerryGorgone) June 20, 2013

According to Huffington, marketers need to follow "megatrends" and tell stories that are in keeping with the zeitgeist of the "new media" era.

Engagement

First, every communication needs to engage your audience. "Marketers need to listen, as well as talk," urged Huffington. Since the Huffington Post launched online, users have posted 260 million pre-moderated comments. The site invests in sophisticated technology with an algorithm that filters most spam and vitriol, but human moderators still review comments. At this point, most of the trolls have left for greener pastures: 90% of comments posted receive approval.

Authenticity