Social Networks as A Place Where Content Finds You

I join a lot of social networks. It's part of what I do to keep ahead of where the audiences are going. The latest rage is direct messages. You can use the social network system to send messages to others in the network. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and many others have this tool.

The problem with this feature, however, is that it's basically like having another email account. When people send you messages through the system, you need to log in and use it to read the notes and respond. It's great that these networks are flat hierarchies. However, direct messaging systems add to The Attention Crash.

As social networks begin to really tap into their analytics and search data, they will become virtual brains that know what you're interested in and what you're circle of friends are following. Then these systems will be able to push content and advertising that's highly relevant to you. Further, you will be able to personalize your results. You also will be able to control this setting based on your privacy preferences.

That's how these direct messaging systems should be used - as a funnel for content to find you. Flickr Explore does this to some degree, but the interface should be some sort of syndicated system like email or RSS. All other communications should go to your regular email where you can respond via a pass-through that funnels your note back through the social network to protect everyone's email addresses.

Comments

[Peter Ralph]

and while we are waiting for the virtual brains what about the attention crash?

[Cem]

I don't like the idea. It's scary. I don't want to be chased by some content in pretending of finding me...

[Edward Vielmetti]

Two stories about advertising, marketing in mobile and social networks.

I went strawberry and pea picking this weekend, and sent out a field report to Twitter, the parents list I'm on and to my blog. That information was timely, very localized - and I got back a message from one friend who was totally unaware of u-pick peas in the area and saw another person at the berry patch who drove there because they saw my Twitter.

Now, is this "content finding me" or "mobile social marketing" or some kind of advertising thing? No - the farm does its direct marketing by postcard when the crops are in. It was sharing of information about something rare, difficult to find, and unusual. And the sharing happened not because there was some special "content channel" tuned specifically for marketing content but because years of effort had built up networks where one message could get out to 1000+ people in the area.

I can imagine better marketing by the farm online (an email list, a blog, postings to whatever and you know they would be passed along). But I'm going to tune out tone-deaf marketers that are hunting for just one more content channel to bombard me with their carefully crafted messages.

[Steve Dragoo]

Steve, you "Social Butterfly", today, more than ever, it is up to individuals or companies to engage their audience (friend or market place) in a way that is relevant to--and deserves the audience's attention. Transparency is also critical - to nip paranoid fears in the bud - and prevent "Big Brother" phobia.

[Claudio]

@Edward: a long time ago (10 years is a long time in internet terms) I organised an event that was broadcasted live over a landline on the internet by a radio station called Pirate Radio. Knowing that the party took place in Belgium and was broadcasted worldwide (duh internet) we got instant message from clubs in Russia we should keep th eparty going all night long. Heck, people even came from France (which is hours away by car), and also 1 crazy person from the U.K. who had to take a ferry to come over.

Guess those were the early days of social networks via irc and primitive live streaming. Speak about content (music) finding you. We did not have a mailing list back then. Blogs didn't even exist in the way they exist now. So I live streaming th event, which costed a fortune back then was money well spend.

[FundsOption.com]

I see this as one possibility in the future.

My network isn't that advanced, and I don't think my users would be ready for these features just yet. But in the future I see this as being a reality. Content will be given to users automatically. Everything will be targeted and catered for each individual. Ads will become even more personal as well.

It's going to be a very informative and unique future. Information is already at our fingertips but we must find it, now the information we seek will find us.

Cool stuff, great post

[nesh thompson]

As the technology increases, no doubt smarter analytics will customise content to user patterns. Personalised search is doing it now to an extent, it is just a matter of time. I have my worries also about greater marketing knowledge and invasion of privacy but what people forget is that the real world is already way ahead of the internet in Big Brother terms. Using loyalty cards, RFID tags etc. means that your average shopping trip is more scrutinised than ever, the internet has someway to catch up with that kind of power over the consumer.

[Armen]

My days are busy enough, but having to reply to people all over the Internet, definately doesn't help matters!

The problem is, if everything is sent to our inbox, there's less chance for us to click on their ads.

[David Binkowski]

The viral/WOM and closed in nature of Facebook's success is what led it to become popular, not the ability of Google to pick it up. They're not providing content for the general public, as a WebMD or Ebay try to do to gain readers/eyeballs/conversions.

In fact, the appeal of Facebook is that it is the anti-MySpace - closed off, no spam, no regrettable pictures for the public to view, etc.

[Susan Reynolds]

Long story short: I'd rather go to a Thai restaurant someone on my twitter network suggested than one discovered through any advertising that now exists. (Interestingly enough, the same just doesn't apply to Facebook connections as they are currently structured.)

That said, I'll be darned irritated if my info overload gets worse. I'm prepared though. In fact don't we already see a negative impact from social network mining? Displeased is an understated description of my reaction.

How new media - or anybody for that matter - runs with that knowledge about people is what I'll be watching.

[Brian Keith]

Steve,
Facebook does a good job of this- I can edit my Feed to show me only certain kinds of stories, such as when someone posts on my wall, or someone joins or leaves a group. What I see, how I am notified, and what other people see about me is totally customizable.

Brian

[Daniel Sitter, Idea Seller]

Great article Steve. I am in the early stages of building my online networking presence and brand identity, having met some wonderful people and credible business contacts already. It would be great to see a platform evolve where all of the social network's messaging systems could converge into a single stream, perhaps an RSS feed. Sounds like a superb entrepreneural opportunity for the right techno-preneur!

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