Page 336 - Social Media Marketing

chapter 11: THE SOCIAL GRAPH ■International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA)

For more information about the use of homophily and its application to social network analysis,
refer to the INSNA site and consider attending its upcoming Sunbelt conferences.

http://www.insna.org/

Review and Hands-On

Chapter 11 provided a deeper look into the social graph and the role that it plays
in connecting individuals, in driving new relationships, and in spreading content.
Chapter 11 drew a subtle distinction between two other nearly interchangeable terms:
a social network—an interconnected set of people, relationships, and activities built
around a common theme or platform—and the social graph—as defined here to be the
actual links between members and the ways in which those members are connected.

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Review of the Main Points

The key points covered in Chapter 11 are summarized below. How might you incorpo-
rate these points into the design or use of the social applications you are planning for
your business or organization?

• The social graph is key to the sharing of content and the spreading of shared
experiences across social networks.

• The social graph can be used in business, both as an indicator of who is con-
nected to whom, and as an indicator of who might like to meet whom or where
specific content should be pushed.

• The behavioral aspects of the social graph can be measured and used to monitor
and tune the larger social network.

The social graph—while not as immediately obvious or as visible as shared
content or the direct use of a social application—is an absolute key in developing
and maintaining a vibrant social experience for the benefit of the participants in that
shared experience. The role of the moderators, the design of the interaction points, and
the degree to which participants can discover potentially valuable relationships are all
driven by the existence and makeup of a participant’s social graph(s).

Hands-On: Review These Resources

Review each of the following, and then take note of what you learn and insights you
gain. How can you apply (or specify the use of) these items in your own projects and
the further development of your understanding of social technology?

Facebook Open Graph Plug-ins for use in social-media-based marketing:

http://developers.facebook.com/plugins