A few months back, after getting one of the first invites to Pownce, I started inviting people I knew (and even some I didn’t) to join me on the service. One such person was Gary Ganon, of Massively Online Gamer fame. I swear this isn’t a plug for his podcast or his own social site, it just so happens this is a catalyst example for my thinking lately on social networks.

Anyway, I invited Gary and he joined Pownce. One of the few times he posted I remember him writing something to the effect of “I don’t get what people see in social networking.”

So when GAX was announced last week, a social network site for gamers, it made me grin. Here was someone who came full circle and has embraced a social platform for communication online. It made a lot of sense to do, and I think he came upon it from the right angle, which was: How can we, as a podcast show, provide even more utility to our listeners. How can we as a show get our audience involved?

And this is how social networks are born (or should be – I am not so sure I know where Yahoo Mash was born out of).

This brings me to the subject of my post which is, why should YOU care about social networking. I’m going to come at this from a marketing perspective, as that is my background. Even though the substance of post will be focused on marketing, never forget that social networks are about meeting people – some of which are tremendously talented and can lead to solid personal or professional relationships, let alone great friendships.

I truly believe social networks are going to be the platform of the future for getting word out about a product or service. As a Search Engine Marketer (SEM) I use Google and Yahoo to find new clients, bidding on words I think they are likely to search on,  but here in a few years (or perhaps sooner) we will turn to the Facebook’s, the MySpace’s, the Twitter’s of the world to make those business connections.

I’m not talking spam either. Traditional online advertising (email, pop ups, banners, pop unders, co-registrations) are all tactics I abhor. They have their place, but for the most part are intrusive and negatively affect the browsing experience. Getting in the way isn’t the future of marketing.

Robert Scoble posted a month or so ago about how social sites like Facebook would eventually lead to Google’s downfall. On a certain level, I can agree with him. Although he took a lot of flack for that position, I think he may have been on to something. Social sites won’t replace Google as a destination for finding information – but i think that they can replace search engines as a place for finding relevant and contextual advertising.

Lets face it, the web is getting more personal. The innovation is being lead in social networks, but it is also popping up in search engines with personalized search. Effective marketing is all about finding the right product, for the right consumer at the right time. What better way to do that than with social networks and direct personal relationships between companies and their customers?

I believe the future of marketing will be personalized and interactive. I’ll have a direct relationship with service providers (be they cable, phone, entertainment, computer vendors, or even my favorite restaurant). I’ll be able to control how much interaction I receive and how I choose to process that advertising – either in exchange for free services that make my life easier, or alongside those services in ways that aren’t invasive. 

One of the greatest challenges to marketers and advertisers today, either online or offline, is the increasing apathy to advertisements. Banner blindness, the act of completely tuning out online advertisements placed near content on web sites, is a perfect example. It is a psychological denial of awareness to ads. Although there are ads placed in gmail, I never notice them. They may as well not even be there they are so ineffective.

The same will be true for ads placed on social networks, if they are executed in the same way they are today. From a consumer standpoint they don’t pass the “what’s in it for me?” test.

But imagine if you will that your favorite restaurant (example above) had a presence on Twitter. Every so often, you got a tweet about specials. Perhaps you even randomly received a tweet with a code you could use as a redeemable coupon for a entree. Is that the kind of advertising you would accept through a social network? I would! Especially if it was personalized to me and delivered on my own terms (SMS, email or web delivered and I could pick i up when I wanted, or opt out). Would you pass up a free entree, drink or side from a place you hadn’t been yet but wanted your business? I’d be inclined to at least try it out.

I love that ESPN is on Twitter. I get personalized news direct to my phone and it doesn’t cost me anything. That makes me a loyal fan of their brand. I wish other companies, beyond just media companies, would find innovative ways to reach out to customers using social mediums.

Category: Commentary, Marketing, Facebook, Social Networks, Tech

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