Weak Foundations - Solid Implementations
Not a day passes by without hearing about some new idea as to how one can use the social networking data to create some value out of it. The latest post cites how one can use a competitor’s twitter followers to be your next contact list. Nothing wrong with the concept, looks neat.
What bothers me is that sometimes the whole exercise seems to be for the sake of an exercise and nothing else. Social Networking data is gathered, and a huge collection of computing theories, algorithms and tools are let loose to operate on the data and come out with interesting opportunities.
Weak connections: At the root of everything is the “strength” of a social networking connection, the strength of intent with which one forges a connection. I believe this force is extremely weak, passive and non-committal. The problem I have with these new tools and ideas is that they overestimate the commitment variable in these bonds and apply existing theories to declare new CRM tools, campaign management tools, etc.
A company is not a person: many companies seem to get on the social networking bandwagon but again, I question the value of the bond - if the strength of the bond involving individuals is in itself so weak,I suppose the strength of bonds with organizations must be even weaker because organizations are not individuals. So when someone “follows” or “likes” some company, it may not mean much in the sense of “intent.” They “follow” or “like” only because these are the only options available.
Either way, I feel that there is an entire industry cropping up that is being built on this premise that a social networking bond represents a strong probability of “intent.” I think we may be in for a surprise.