“Web Start-Ups Offer Bargains for Users’ Data”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/business/media/31privacy.html?ref=technology

Thanks for checking in. It’s an honor to hear from professionals like yourself and I appreciate you sharing your insights.

You make some great points about the value of businesses / brands entering the social media space sooner, rather than later, due to audiences who will become committed to their friends and/or groups and may be hard to lure away. Also, recent studies suggest that humans can only actively process a finite number of relationships at any given time. (We needed a study to tell us that). The bottom line is that if you don’t reach out, you can be sure your competitors will. I’ve always believed that in marketing, as in life, the strongest relationships yield the most enduring rewards. Committing the time to build meaningful relationships is such a valuable asset for those with the wisdom to do so.

And you’re right- Time is money, so investing in social media while a relatively cost efficient means of marketing, is not free; therefore, it does involve some degree of foresight, faith and risk. Risk requires courage, but it also yields great rewards.

Finally, regarding your comments about point #18: Something sure does seem out of whack, doesn’t it? They say the most recent quake in Chile shifted the earth’s axis another 3. Go figure. While we can point our fingers at any number of reasons why things may seem ‘broken”, I’d suggest you astutely laid your finger on the common denominator (greed). We’ve got to overcome that.

I never did catch a single episode of “My Name is Earl”, but heard it was good. Eastern religions (Hindus, Buddhists) call it “Karma”; Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism) call it, “cause and effect” or God’s will. Bob Marley simply said, “What goes round, comes round”. I definitely think the world could use a little more selflessness, and open-source anything is a great example of that. One other suggestion: Instead of praying for our own needs, why don’t we all start praying for somebody else’s?

Best,
Tim

“Social Media can be used very effectively for branding and marketing when integrated strategically, naturally, creatively and consistently. Those who give up on it too soon will be sorry down the road because networks by their nature, grow exponentially over time.”

My prediction: A social media land rush will peak sooner than anyone expects. Soon online communities will blanket the space, and (when done well) audiences will become committed (read not likely to ditch their friends because your interface is better).

The companies that step out now will benefit greatly, especially those who have been marginalized by lack of spending power. This requires leadership, which involved risk, which is particularly hard when you know it’s not so easy to land on your feet should your boss grow impatient with this social media thing.

Regarding point 18: I believe there’s a fundamental cultural shift underway … the most obvious example is Open Source … if we create something that benefits many people, good will come to us, oh wait I just quoted “My Name Is Earl,” but see what I mean? There (was) a whole TV show about karma, what better indicator do we need? Ultimately, how many lives worldwide have been shattered by greed … momentum is on our side.

Thanks for working out the synapses!