The idea of communication through online social networking is relatively recent, though given the rapid evolution and accessibility of the Internet, it seems like old hat to us. Blogging, Facebook, MySpace, Friendster… Sites come and go like fads, depending on what’s cool that moment. We’re obsessed with expressing our likes, moods, breakups, recent purchases, and we want to know what everyone else thinks about, well, everything and everyone else. Before we buy a something, we’ll read reviews. To catch up with old friends, we’ll join Facebook. When we’re bored at work, we’ll read celebrity gossip blogs. We’re online all the time, and we’ve inadvertently become an incredibly influential voice for consumer products.
So, naturally, advertising and marketing agencies have turned to online community dwellers to create a dialogue (hopefully a positive one) that sways others into appreciating, identifying with, and ultimately buying their product. People who initiate the buzz are the trendsetters; and whatever their opinion is, it’s quickly adopted by everyone else. MySpace used to be a site that a few people knew about –- Without any marketing, MySpace kept growing and adding users. Because of the positive word of mouth and keyboard strokes, brands grow.
As you may have guessed, the only problem with putting the success of your product totally in the hands of the consumer is that you better have a damn good product to sell, otherwise you’ll crash and burn before takeoff. It’s human nature that we express ourselves more when about something we hate, than about something we love. It’s a huge risk, which is why most companies don’t do this. But is it worth the risk? I think it all depends on the quality of and confidence in your product, timing, and how much control you’re willing to surrender.
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