Social networks are about people, not ideas
Katya Andresen reminds us in Four fundamental laws of social networking that social networks aren’t about causes, ideas, or some vague notion of bringing people together. Instead they are about allowing and helping people to find others with whom they share something:
Don’t build to a concept, build to people. People don’t look for a social network to join – they look for people like them. Networking technology is about NETWORKING – being amidst people like us – more than it’s about the tools or technology. So don’t build a network because you think you have a great concept – build a network because you have a real group of people that wants to spend time together, connecting.
…I’ll leave Ben with the last word, and it’s a good one: “Donors want a better giving experience, and social networking technology, properly used, can significantly improve this experience by making it more personal, by giving people a sense that they are a member of a community and not just a cash machine, and by enabling people to dramatically magnify their impact. …”
[Via Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog: Four fundamental laws of social networking.]
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2 comments
Miraz makes a very good point - it is easy to get tied up in abstracts and forget about the people. But she makes a serious mistake in adopting dichotomous (either/or) thinking. Networking is about people AND ideas - because it is ideas which form the basis of commonality between people. It is sharing common interests and learning from each other that is much of the basis of community, especially on the Internet. So we need to maintain that understanding of the role of ideas, as we work with specific people and groups.
Good point, Gray. Thanks for reminding us that it’s both, rather than either / or.
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