The Social Starfish - Understanding Online Conversations

Social media has become an important strategy in helping our clients reach out to their customers and understand them better. Whether it be Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIN, YouTube or one of the many other popular social networks, each SocNet account allows our clients the opportunity to communicate with clients in the online environment they are most comfortable.

Many clients have mentioned to me that they don’t see the value in joining so many random groups of people. They think social networks are merely a way to send messages among friends, similar to e.mail. What they fail to see is the big picture, in that, social networks give you access to a social graph that makes starting conversations easier and spreading conversations even easier.

Social Graph Example:
Jon Ray joins SocialNetworkA and imports his contact list. Now Jon Ray has 300 friends on SocialNetworkA. Jon Ray meets Bob and they become friends on SocialNetworkA. Bob has 300 friends on SocialNetworkA, as well. Now when Jon Ray sends out a message, he not only has access to his pool of 300 friends, but also to Bob’s pool of 300 contacts.

Jon Ray (300 friends) + Bob (300 friends) = 600 friend message potential

Then, Jon Ray builds an application that demonstrates his marketing and video production services in a fun way, then he can invite each of his 300 friends to add the application to their profile. Now, each of Jon Ray’s 300 friends can ask their 300 (or however many) friends to add the application to their profile. And so on and so on…

The Social Starfish
I ran into the graphic above on Scoble’s blog the other day and I think it is a great representation of how all of these social networks work with one another to create more and more conversations. Each social network is pulling information from one network to display in another and vice versa. Of course, many people belong to all of these social networks, while some belong to only one or two. The biggest advantage I’ve found in the social network campaigns I’ve put together is that by setting clients up with profiles on social networks across the board, they are able to communicate with their clients in the online environment, in which, they are most comfortable.

We, as outside viewers, no longer have to go and find media. Now, it comes to us wherever we are most comfortable. I think that’s important to remember when you’re trying to start conversations with potential prospects and current customers. The more comfortable they are, the easier it is to engage them in valuable conversation.

Web 2.0?
I commented on Neville Hobson’s blog a few days ago on the challenges of explaining Web 2.0. Seeing as it somewhat relates to what I’m talking about, I’ll share it here.

I said:

Web 2.0 describes a way to have more conversations in a more efficient manner. As applications get more complex on the back end, they become easier to use by front end users.

The easier it is to have many conversations online, the smaller the barrier of entry for hesitant technology adopters (my mom, grand parents, 3-year olds).

Therefore, it seems that the number of conversations I can have online is directly proportional to the ease of using the current technology available.

Web 2.0 is a pairing of technolgy, all working with one another, that allow me to have more conversations using less effort.

Now, many would argue that Web 2.0 is far more in depth than that. But, regardless, we are already deep into a new era where consumers expect to have a conversation with you. They are out there everyday talking, the only real question is are you listening to what they have to say?

How are you creating conversations online? What are your customers saying to you and how are you responding? How many social networks are you juggling, right now? Has the time you’ve put into developing conversations online been successful, or are you still waiting to see results? I’d love to hear about strategies that you’re incorporating into your internet campaigns which are seeing success.

UPDATE: Had I finished my thought, I would have gotten to my ultimate point, which is that conversations lead to sales and marketing conversions. Hence the word conversions across the social starfish. Thanks to Jef Greilich for pointing that out and getting me to clarify.

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