Attraction Branding and Perceived Similarity

Interpersonal Attraction   Attraction has been linked to similarity of attitudes, belief, and interests in university research since the 1960’s. Personally, I invested four years in post-graduate research into interpersonal attraction. The implications for social media are profound, because we open to the public intimate details about our attitudes and interests on our Facebook profiles. […]

Traffic Jams on Facebook and Twitter

Get traffic? The volume of “traffic” flowing through Facebook and Twitter feeds make the Los Angeles freeway system look like a rural country lane. But social media experts continue to advise marketers not to transfer the old freeway billboard advertising technique to social networks like Facebook. Unlike the freeway, the traffic on the new internet superhighway is becoming […]

Facebook Fans “Like” But Not Asking for Spam

Social media has powerful potential for viral exposure. But studies have shown that more than two-thirds of Facebook users say that “Liking” a “Fan Page” does not mean permission to send me advertising messages. Marketers need to understand that the vast majority of “Fans” click that they “Like” a page as a message to their friends, […]

Building Trust with Social Media

Trust is a key component in business (and personal) decisions. Greg Ferenstein wrote an interesting post on the Mashable blog about trust in social media, in which he quoted Professor Judith Olson, who has studied the essentials of building trust in digital communication. One of her most important findings is that “responsiveness is key” in building […]

Internet Relationships or Illusions?

What kind of relationships do you really have with Facebook Friends and Twitter followers? How does a virtual relationship differ from an offline relationship? We may get some clues from an article Mayhill Fowler wrote in the Hoffington Post, entitled Taking the Me from Social Media, quoted below:

But the heady sensation of connectedness induced by social media whisks the user quickly past contemplation of the sands upon which these Internet relationships are built.

Are “Friends” or “Followers” Really Listening?

I’m not sure about SEO, but when relationships are the goal, I believe that we need to slow down and invest more attention. Remember the Facebook motto, “Changing the world — one Friend at a time!” When I think of listening, I think of lyrics from some of my favorite songs: “Slow down, you move too fast,” “People talking without listening”…

7 Ways to Build Relationships on Facebook

Relationships come in many varieties: romantic relationships, strategic business alliances, customer relationships, family relationships, et al. I believe it is wise to begin with the end in mind. What are you looking for? Social media provide efficient tools to communicate, and all relationships thrive on communication. What do you think are the best ways to […]