Comments on: The Few vs. the Many

By: skeproryptots

skeproryptots — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:06:22 +0000

As newly registered user i only want to say hi to everyone else who uses this board :D

By: Geoff Livingston

Geoff Livingston — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:49:36 +0000

Everybody has left fantastic comments. I have nothing to add other than my gratitude for these prior remarks.

By: Leo Bottary

Leo Bottary — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:16:40 +0000

Excellent post and some great comments as well. I, like many of you, have to make choices. Can’t do everything and do it well. Not unlike anything else in life! Kami’s buffet metaphor hits it right on the head.

By: johnrhopkins

johnrhopkins — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:56:49 +0000

Geoff, thank you. I really appreciate your contributions. @Kami, GREAT analogy.

It is unfortunate that so many of these “A-listers” ping away without listening, let alone conversing. Eventually the breeze will die down and there will be very little holding them up… maybe.

By: Kami Huyse

Kami Huyse — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:19:47 +0000

Someone on Twitter earlier this week asked, “How do you keep up with all the social networks?” My reply was, “You can’t and why would you anyway? It’s like eating everything from the buffet, better to chose a few or indigestion sets in.”

It is the year of social network fatigue my friend. Good call.

By: Ike

Ike — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:15:48 +0000

(applauds)

By: Qui Diaz

Qui Diaz — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:56:01 +0000

Word. There is no value in being everywhere, unless you’re assessing all the platforms for comparison purposes. Find where your audience is and meet them there. Your audience, p.s., is not everyone.

And what about sleep? Dang. even if you’re fully immersed in just two online communities, it can be a time suck. Social networks are no place for introverts (like me) to play. If you get your energy from other people, go for it. But if energy comes from “quiet time” then Facebook = Vampire.

By: Sean moffitt

Sean moffitt — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:29:17 +0000

Well said, Geoff – the level of narcissitic chest thumping and volume of echo chamber music is deafening (and this from a person that has reached his 5,000 friend limit).

I love the distinction between personal and corporate branding, there should be a top 10 list of A-listers who trump themselves over there companies – the funny thing is many of us know them, yet still follow them …quite the paradox.

I would say that corporate brands struggle with social media which at its very essence is an intimacy medium. the inabaility to acheive scale within any one network forces them to believe scale might be achievable in a number of them, I have some sympathy here — they are either right in having their brand linked to the top 15 networks or need to yield to the notion that traditional media/marketing has role in their mix to achieve scale.

Regardless, nice pillory of the elite social media class.

By: Dennis McDonald

Dennis McDonald — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:14:36 +0000

It also helps to know the actual overlap among “targets of strategic importance” across the different social networks.

Despite the hype about the desirability of data portability, my guess is that your target influentials (or whatever you want to call them) won’t be hopping around as much as people suspect.

By: Geoff Livingston

Geoff Livingston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:32:58 +0000

David, Gavin, Connie and Amber: One of the reasons I love social media is that influentials – a la the Tipping Point — are easily identified. It makes marketing easier within niches. At the same time, as we all seem to be experiencing, the hype about social media has become something else.

I guess the message is rely on marketing fundamentals, and Don’t Believe the Hype! We all agree it’s who and why, not how many.

And as you said, Amber it has come down to who has the biggest stick now. Guite frankly, I thought I graduated high school twenty years ago (ahhh, that’s scary!).