04/12/2010
Each form of social media has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Our goal is to use each social media where they're strongest.
RSS
the modern AP feed
Mostly used by professionals whose job it is to track and reprocess the flow of information. Many reporters subscribe to multiple RSS feeds as "trusted" sources of high quality information.
the modern CNN
Less popular than Facebook but very popular among information collectors (such as bloggers). Compared to RSS feeds, Twitter tends to be more trivial and less trusted, but still a wonderful tool to collect snippits of information. Your goal with twitter followers shouldn't be to get them to buy, or use, your product, but to recommend it. Success with Twitter is usually measured by:
- Popularity - Number of followers minus the number of people you follow. One good way to get followers is to follow other people, but the most popular people have many followers WITHOUT having to follow other people.
- Quality - ratio of lists to followers. Lists tend to have a higher barrier to entry than simple followers, so you can judge their relative quality by this ratio.
SIDE NOTE: Mavens are "information specialists," or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information." They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others. Gladwell cites Mark Alpert as a prototypical Maven who is "almost pathologically helpful," further adding, "he can't help himself." In this vein, Alpert himself concedes, "A Maven is someone who wants to solve other people's problems, generally by solving his own." According to Gladwell, Mavens start "word-of-mouth epidemics" due to their knowledge, social skills, and ability to communicate. As Gladwell states, "Mavens are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tipping_Point
the modern living room
People go here to catch up with friends. Some people (especially people suffering from information overload) clearly segregate leisure from work. So in the same way you might read money magazine, or clip coupons on the couch, only a select few will want CNN (Twitter) blasting in their living room 24x7. Paid adds on Facebook are currently very affordable, and very accepted. Facebook is a great place to build brand awareness, especially on a local level. You can (for instance) run your ad for a bridal shop to all 24-28 year old women within 30 miles of your shop. You might not get a sale from every one of them, but you can get some great brand exposure very inexpensively.
the modern networking event
People post resumes, and share leads online here. It's often common for people to make a clear distinction between "business contacts" (with whom they're linked on LinkedIn) and "friends" who they've "friended" on Facebook. It's generally considered uncouth to post press releases or sales materials on LinkedIn, but paradoxically it's expected that if you know someone who knows someone, you'll ask them for an introduction. Again, think of it like a networking event. It's okay for everyone to bring a small brochure, or ask someone if their wife can introduce them to the president of the local bank for mortgage help. But it's not okay to keep standing up at the podium talking about your kids (Facebook) or your company's latest offering (RSS/Twitter).
Plaxo is the European version of Linked In.
MySpace
the modern garage (with a drum kit in it)
MySpace was built as a place for musicians to "hang out" online. It started to evolve into a large player in all forms of social media (especially with the non-collegiate crowd), but in the past couple of years has lost traction, and has returned to its roots as "the" place for bands to be online, and "the" place to follow bands online.
Thanks to Jennifer Williams of Disk, Inc. for suggesting the house metaphor!