04.07.08

Someone patent iBuddy

Posted in Social Media at 8:56 am by Mosey

Reem Abeidoh has a fun little article on the five levels of friends on social networks. I think it was a tongue-in-cheek joke but I think he actually nailed the concept of friend-levels which I have been spending a lot of time thinking about very well.

There are, just like the “real world” these trust circles. When it comes to marketing and branding only your inner-most circles, or people with an expertise in an area get a second listen; anyone else they might as well be a corporate shill.

The problem with marketing and branding in this Social Wild West is that word of mouth has to be credible. Sometimes it doesn’t take a lot of credibility (hey watch this it is funny!) and other times it does (buy this brand of car). Defining these levels, and then creating strategies around each level is key to anyone doing social media strategy. Of course the next step is defining and measuring the results. The larger and more “loose” the circle the harder it will be for any one person, or fact to influence them. Of course those larger circles is exactly where the money is. You do a lot better convincing 20 people in the time you take to convince one, obviously. The question we have, and setting up “friendship levels” helps start the conversation is, are you better talking to 20 “iBestFriends” or 300 “buddys?”

Technorati Tags: social media, friend circles