Jyri Engeström, co-founder of Jaiku has been talking about “Social Objects” for a long time. His presentation found below (or here) clearly articulates the basic premise of the way people are connecting online and provides a frame work for creating successful social networking ventures.
His theory has proven true over the past two years, and still holds true today. Knowing why Social Networks are flourishing could help your company better interact online.
What is a Social Object
ReadWriteWeb.com’s Sarah Perez describes the basic premise of social objects.
“social sites we visit today are not just friend networks – they’re also built around objects that connect people with shared interests. These social objects could be anything from a photo on flickr to a video on YouTube or a track on Last.fm.”
Basically, networks that are clearly built around media or “objects” that connect people that otherwise wouldn’t be connected, are going to succeed, those that don’t will not.
Engeström has compiled a list of 5 keys to building services around Social Objects, the following is my attempt to relate his theory to Social Media Marketing. Keep me honest if you disagree. Check out Engeström’s list here.
Social Object Thinking for Social Media Marketers
1) Identify your Social Objects
Are you creating social objects? (no, Adwords or Banners ads are not social objects. Neither are one directional websites or blogs) Are creating objects to bring people together, or are you just broadcasting a message? Are they Social Objects, or are they corporate one way messages?
2) Make it Shareable
This one is from the “No brainier but something that must be said” bin. Social Media users want to share, so make it easy for them to do so. That means having the ability to link to a specific page, post or picture. It means limit your use of flash and focus on content that can be shared. Simple.
3) Clearly define value actions
What do you want me to do? I’ve just heard about you, saw your fan page or read a tweet. Tell me what you want me to do, I might just do it. A simple, obvious message is a must. We all get wrapped up in trying to communicate more than we should, select one action that your target will be motivated to complete.
4)Are your you asking or giving?
The difference between an evil spam message and a message that’s worth reading is value. Does your target see value in “becoming a fan” or “following” your company? You gain value from a user taking an action, so reward them.
Rewards don’t have to be money, they can be as simple as allowing people into the inner circle. Give followers information first, awesome discounts, great deals or an amazing experience. Communicate an overt value for a users action.
5) Really Reward the Participants
Macheist is a perfect example. They’re the largest Mac Community online with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. They just released Macheist, an opportunity to buy multiple applications (valued at over $900) for just $39.
Wow, what a deal. It gets better though. In the purchase process, Macheist offers purchasers additional programs if they tweet a specific message. Macheist gets thousands of tweets in their favor and individual users get more applications. Win-win. Just check out how many tweets they’ve had (click here)
Check out Jyri Engeström’s Presentation Below and let me know your thoughts.
Photo Cred: Haags Uitburo