Can the Contextual: Why Social Networking Better Meets Your Relevant Targeting Needs
Advertising doesn’t have to be evil. One of the features of a social network that seems obvious to me is that you already have an ecology where people are encouraged to cluster around affinities. This can be viewed as a ‘qualification’ to put it into marketing parlance. I have, however, not seen the following scenario: Company X very openly and with full transparency sponsors a social network around the theme of affinity Y. Users of the system receive many benefits from the system from group support to email to forums. Users of the system are asked to participate in focus groups (with rewards) sit in on round tables with company executives dedicated to subjects like brand perception and identity and encouraged to take part in town hall like events around the subject of proposed new product ideas, future features of current products, etc. This kind of SocNet could be viewed as a marketing extranet.
Another useful SocNet application would be a tech support community. Think of it this way: users of computer hardware X join a community and are rewarded for sharing knowledge regarding the care and use of products and services from company X. Users who solicit and receive valuable information are then encouraged to report their experience, much the way Amazon and eBay uses feedback systems. Those with high scores would receive perks, while at the same time, your tech support overhead would be reduced. The interactions and behaviors within this system would be a very good data repository to mine contextual ad opportunities from. Your users are receiving value, you’re saving money and gathering data to bring you even closer into sync with your customers wants and needs, while also gathering good PR points in the eyes of the public.
All this was to say that MySpace hasn’t cornered the market on SocNets. Teen markets aren’t the only place this scenario can play out. My prediction is that Social Networking will continue in 2006 and beyond to become a de facto method used to gather, sort and present information. If you’re really interested in what the near future may hold, check out Microsoft’s Wallop plans. Rumor has it that several Wallop team members have been seen working with the Vista team (!?). The edges between the network, desktop and you just got a lot fuzzier.
Happy networking!
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Tags: behavioral_targeting, contextual_targeting and social_networkingArticle Sponsor
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