This all goes back to the topic that has run through some of my previous blog posts. Word of mouth marketing runs throughout all types of marketing. Just think about how you use twitter and facebook. They both are relationship sites whether you like it or not.
Do Facebook & Twitter have any intrinsic value. Is it possible the value is between people and profiles and not the site? Take out the people, leave the content. Is there’s value and power to influence?
Twitter is a bit easier to look at this way. I tweet around 4 to 5 times a day on average. I probably read dozens of tweets a day. I rarely go to Twitter.com. My relationship with Twitter.com is nonexistent. For me, Twitter is actually more of a relationship API than a website.
Now this is something for marketers pause and consider. Twitter.com is as relevant as the concrete poured in the foundation of my neighbors house. The site is a construct where relationships happen but it does not create, foster or enable the relationships, therefore measuring the value of the concrete is erroneous.
Now can we take this even further and consider if ANY website holds value? Is it possible that nearly all traffic on the web is some form or relationship media, where the value and influence is between personas and not between the site and the visitor.
I recently tweeted on this and got a response claiming that even with social media, it is not always about relationships. The example given was a user recieved needed technical answers he was seeking from people he did not know, who had tweeted out into the ether.
From my perspective this person trusts the collective intelligence and personas of the Twitterverse. He is using the Twitter API as a channel to connect with people he doesn’t otherwise have access to. I believe that IS relationship media at work. He has definitely moved past finding value in a site or destination in exchange for connecting with expert personas.
Even beyond social interaction I think we can see the web has shifted primarily to relationship media. Consider the 90/9/1 rule where 90% of engagements on any social site are people consuming but not participating in the conversation. I see a relationship here. The 90% has a relationship with the 10% of content producers. And that relationship is often more sought after because it is deeper and more trusted than most institutional sources.
So for marketers what does this mean? I can’t help but wonder if we have moved to relationship media while not fully aware, and not comprehending what it means. Are we continuing to build sites while focused on the value of these destinations, meanwhile ignoring the value of personas & relationship fostering, that may truly be at the core to building relevance and influence on the web?
As long as you keep the conversation brand related when you find new customers, you should have success. It takes five minutes to set up both types of accounts. Twitter makes this next part easier. All you have to do is search for your brand, or you could search for people where you live. Most likely you know some of your customers by name already. You could also make a list of customer’s names or have a signup sheet or contest. If they want to sign up to become your friend on facebook or give you their twitter name so that you can follow them on twitter, and hope that they return the favor. This can all become time consuming especially if you have a store front with an online presence. Social media is relationship management for businesses. It allows businesses to protect their brand and gain new customers in the process.
John Botch
Laserburnmedia.com
john@laserburnmedia.com
