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Thinking about the social Web? Do something!

May 07, 2008 | Internet Marketing

On the social Web, your goal as a marketer is to influence participants who are important to you. You want people to show an interest in your content, and you want the added commentary to be beneficial.

On the social Web, you can’t buy message spread; you must depend on others to pick up your message and spread it for you. As this happens, commentary is added. The combination of interest and added commentary snowballs as your message is pushed around the social Web. Your goal as a marketer is to influence the social Web participants who are important to you. You want people to show an interest in your content, and you want the added commentary to be beneficial. It’s a lot like working in a matrix organization (define): you really need the people who can impact you—but who don’t report to you—to help you. You can’t control them; you can only create an environment that results in their being willing to align their work with yours. In that way, you both succeed.

The social Web is the same way. Your customers and potential customers are out there. Right alongside are some folks with an axe to grind. Assuming you aren’t directly building those ranks, your way forward is through influence. If you’ve got a customer service policy that inflames current customers or a product design that creates more opportunities for your competitors than it does for you, fix it now. With your house in order, your next move should be onto the social Web as a participant.

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