Friday, May 16, 2008

Shhhhh…The World Is Talking

We've seen a precipitous change in social media within the last 18 months, a change that is further distancing the first-movers from the mainstream.

New mobile communication networks (Twitter, Brightkite), emerging consumer-run social networks (NING), life-streaming aggregation networks (FriendFeed, SocialThing) and widget-run blogs now allow for quick and easy access to the thoughts of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.

So when is the correct time to jump in?

The answer: whenever your customers are talking about you.

Mobile communication networks like Twitter will become powerful corporate tools, but not because it will enable you to blast-market your customers. Instead, these emerging social media technologies may be their most useful when you sit back and listen to the voices talking.

For instance, here is a Twitter conversation I had with developers from Brightkite, a geo-location based mobile network, after I posted an unflattering review of their service.

They didn't change my mind, but they certainly had the opportunity to ask me specific questions about why I didn't like the service. While I have stopped using Brightkite, I have a pretty favorable view of their company even though I don't think the service has matured enough for mainstream use.

Posted By brad at 09:59 AM
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