Page 86 - Social Media Marketing

Customers, Constituents and Employees

1
Social Graph

build relationships

Operations Marketing

Social Spaces 3 2 Social Content

listen and participate
learn

Communities and Outposts Social Applications

64 Figure€3.5╇â•T‰ he Social Business
c h a p t e r 3 : ╇ B uild a S ocial B usiness╇ ■
Business as a Social Participant

People gather around a shared interest, cause, or lifestyle in pursuit of a sense of col-
lective experience. Important to understand is that they are often motivated by an
apparent desire to talk about a brand, product, or service experience with each other,
relating this to what they have in common. What they have in common may in part be
that brand, product, or service, but it is generally also something deeper. Apple prod-
ucts—and the following they have created—are a great example of this: Apple owners
are seemingly connected by Apple products, but in a deeper sense they are connected
by the ethos of Apple and the smart, independent lifestyle associated with the brand.

For LEGO enthusiasts—and in particular adult LEGO enthusiasts— there is a
gathering that occurs on LUGNET.com along with a variety of other fan-created web-
sites, forums, and blogs. Conversations appear to revolve around LEGO products, but
in reality the higher calling is the shared passion for creation, which LEGO (as a prod-
uct) facilitates. While LEGO creation may bring members to the community, and while
it may be the common thread that unites a seemingly disparate group, the camaraderie
is what keeps members together years upon years. A business or organization is itself in
many respects a social place. In much the same way, the social business is a place where
employees and customers gather together around a common purpose of creating the
products and services that define—and are often subsequently defined by—the brand
and its higher purpose. Employees and customers, together through collaboration, cre-
ate the experiences they want: Together they are responsible for the business. When the
conversations that result are a reflection of this shared interest of both customers and