Smidgen of PR, Dash of Social Media

“I’ve always said that numbers alone are beside the point in SOCIAL vs. mass media RT @billhandy: …my size argument [In Social Media Communities Size-Matters Inversely].”

This tweet came from my PR campaigns professor Dawn Gilpin (@drgilpin), and it immediately grabbed my attention. Both she and Bill Handy pose a valid argument: size doesn’t always matter. As an American, I tend to think the bigger, the better. This is the norm. Shifting gears may or may not be easy. That has yet to be determined as far as I’m concerned.

Handy clearly states that while size is just a number and not the objective it depends on the context of the situation. Obviously, if you are promoting a project, campaign or event than you welcome the masses with open arms. But there are times when we reach for the numbers and they harm us, not help us.

Handy emphasizes the idea of community; a “true community, one of engagement and collaboration and created for a purpose.” Think of small as customized or tailored. In fact, Handy’s blog reminds me of Seth Godin’s Tribes. Godin elaborates on the concept of smaller numbers can lead to greater commitment and a stronger movement. He uses Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans as the primary example. True fans are the ones who cares deeply about you and your work. A true fan will go that extra mile. How much stronger will the bond or cause be if all those invested are true fans?

Straight from Tribes “Too many organizations care about numbers, not fans…. What they’re missing is the depth of commitment an interconnection that true fans deliver. Instead of always being on the hunt for one more set of eyeballs, true leaders have figured out that the real win is in turning a casual fan into a true one.”

Granted, Godin is talking about leaders leading their tribes and the power of a true fan, the sentiment is the same for what Handy is talking about.

Social media is about building relationships and communities. Many social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Word Press are meant to connect people and strengthen relationships. Information blasts and hitting “elite” Twitter status is not the point. Not to say that it is wrong to hit “elite” status, but it shouldn’t be the objective. A group will be stronger if all its members are equally committed. One hundred die hard members can be more powerful than 1,000 lukewarm, bandwagon ones.

What do you think? Do you think smaller is better? Do you think choosing is even necessary? Can you have both? Will smaller communities create more stability? More power and influence?

Handy says he is starting over. He wants to build a dedicated, intimate community. He is going back to basics. It’s about relationships and people. In terms of Twitter he says he is following no one and no one is following him. Would you be willing to do the same?

Tags: communities, mass media, PR, public relations, Social Media, Tribes, Twitter

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 1:19 am and is filed under Uncategorized. 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.