Want waves? drop a pebble

Categories: Social Media, Web Marketing, Web TheoryPosted on August 30th, 2007

Media is getting smaller, faster, and more connected, I’m seeing this through the adoption of MicroMedia, niche communities, and intimate conversations with smaller groups of folks. Savvy communicators will realize that using the small “pebble” will cause a ripple effect out to other networks. The less savvy will come with the fleet, causing disruptive waves.

Be sure to understand the different adoption personas: The Pebble, Swimmer, Surfer, Boater, or Fleet. Those close to the epicenter can drop a pebble and watch it ripple out to the others. When I announced my job change on Monday, I did it in Twitter, I left a series of messages explaining my intent, I saw the replies come back by the dozens. I answered an y questions in real-time and the wave grew in energy. As their friends saw people saying “congrats @jowyang” (the “@” symbol notifies me someone is talking to me) it encourages others to click on my name and see what I said. It rippled across the Twitter lake. Finally, I dropped the URL to my blog, and then it spread to the swimmers, then surfers, boaters, and finally the fleet, like this news site (thanks Karl).

[The savvy communicator knows that small, targeted, conversations can yield bigger returns on energy than massive bombardments]

Many brands want to announce products by using the fleet, come in with heavy advertising that links to a flash animation, which points to a product page. Maybe the savvy brands will learn how to use the smaller tools and drop that very small pebble close the center of the lake.

By the way, I’m very pleased to see the comments, and trackbacks suggesting that my new role is a “perfect fit”, as many of these folks have worked with me, read my blog, or know my passion for web strategy. It’s really community confirmation that it’s going to work out. Best of all, George Forrester Colony himself left a comment welcoming me (#124), fantastic. Thank you everyone, really, it means a lot, seriously.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 at 6:00 am and is filed under Social Media, Web Marketing, Web Theory. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

First off, congrats on the new gig. Big win for Forrester.

Second, just wanted to say that your persona explanation really resonates with some of my coworkers and me.

Makes me think about the new media/interactive agency’s role. I think old iAgency thinking was to pay attention to what’s popular online, and pull clients there…your personas put words to the idea that the GREAT iAgency’s role is to drop pebbles and create/define what becomes pop culture on the Web, and where possible, on a client’s behalf.

Posted by bender on August 30th, 2007 at 8:00 am

Glad this was helpful!

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on August 30th, 2007 at 8:45 am

Funny you should post about this. Lisa Amorao and I have had this same discussion on more than one occasion. ..about how Lunch 2.0 could really spiral out of control and become something other than what it was meant to be. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Posted by Jeff on August 30th, 2007 at 9:11 am

Oops, that comment was meant for your previous post. That’s what I get for trying to do too much at once.

Posted by Jeff on August 30th, 2007 at 9:13 am

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