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How marketers can use Twitter's weak social connections
on Oct 08 in branding, business, social media, strategy, Twitter posted brand marketing, social media marketing, twitter by Roger
In this article in Social Media Today, Neil Alperstein discusses the premise that the weak social ties we experience on Twitter, where interactions occur mainly between followers, rather than personal friends.
Why is this observation important? Because, according to Alperstein, weak social ties do not require trust in order to be effective. He cites issue-based groups, that might tweet particular hashtags to gain traction.
Interestingly, Alperstein's thesis runs counter to that espoused by Malcom Gladwell in The Tipping Point, that strong social connections are necessary to elicit societal change.
There's a lesson here for marketers as well. If Alperstein is correct, and "proximity, trust and incentive to connect based on friendship no longer matter" then marketers must understand that the approach to brand marketing on Twitter will be quite different to that on Facebook, where social connections among fans are typically stronger.
This means in practice that a marketer will want to provide value, as always, but it may also be necessary and justifiable to increase the size of the marketing megaphone to reach an audience. This translates into tweeting more often, maybe repeating some high value tweets, and not worrying too much about connecting with every single follower whose tweets are mostly "Wassup?" It also reinforces an influencer marketing strategy, since it weak social connections imply that the brand network may have less impact than the networks of influencers.
Marketers need to understand the bad side of using Facebook
on Aug 15 in facebook, marketing, psychology, social media posted brand marketing, downside, facebook by Roger
According to a BBC article published today, a University of Michigan study finds that Facebook use makes people feel worse about themselves. Interesting. But what does that mean?
The research seems to raise more questions than answers. If it's true, why do people spend so much time on Facebook? But the study does not mean a death knell for Facebook. Other research shows that Facebook satisfies an innate psychological need for social connection.
That said, the findings have important implications for brands trying to connect with users on the social network. Marketers need to understand first and foremost that one-on-one social connections are the only way, in the long run, to build relationships with users. That is a hard grind, requiring time, effort, a minimum level of competency and authenticity. Sorry, no shortcuts.
Another important implication is that brands can work to ensure that users feel better rather than worse about themselves. The report cites the Fear Of Missing Out theory as one reason people feel bad after using Facebook. This concept suggests bad feelings arise as "a side effect of seeing friends and family sitting on beaches or having fun at parties while you are on a computer."
Marketers could counter this perception of social isolation in several ways. For example, brands can reward engagement with increased interaction or incentives such as sweepstakes. These might help the user feel as though they belong to an in-group who are granted special privileges. Another possibility is to organize online (or even in-person) meet ups or clubs where users can share stories, products, special deals and so forth.
These approaches may not be easy to implement in practice. But brands must understand that Facebook usage does have negative consequences and they must be prepared to deal with that. Marketers must also understand that there are no easy fixes for creating an effective presence in social media. It's a hard slog, and providing value and keeping commitments are not cheap, so your brand shouldn't be either.
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