The age of technology generated an avenue for social epidemics to spark across the Internet, greatly impacting companies in the court of public opinion.
Malcolm Gladwell, a National Bestselling author and writer for The New Yorker, coined the examination of powerful paradigm shifts that spread like wildfire throughout society in his 2000 novel “The Tipping Point.” Taking a few hints from Gladwell, public relations practitioners can harness key ideas about the tipping point to identify new strategies in social networking.
The advent of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites introduced a new outlet to waves of word-of-mouth outbreaks in the last five years. Word-of-mouth has the power to tip any company’s message, reputation, product or image on a pendulum of success and failure in just moments.
In his book that emphasizes the reasoning behind change, Gladwell discussed three influential figures, which he identifies as the “Law of the Few.” He argues that small groups of people that consist of Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen have the power to provoke the moment when an idea, trend, or behavior crosses the threshold into an epidemic.
- Connectors are individuals that exist like walking address books, remembering names and details about every person they encounter in their lives. These people have fewer degrees of separation than the average person. Get linked up with a Connector and you have likely exponentially increased your working network over the Web.
- Mavens or price vigilantes on the other hand accumulate large amounts of knowledge on marketplace trends, prices, brands and qualities. These people are walking Consumer Reports that can tell you where to get the biggest bang for your buck on any good. By providing this crowd with valuable information about your quality, ratings, and prices as a company, you can likely convince whomever your company’s Maven strikes up a conversation with. You win a Maven’s network by winning a slot in his or her knowledge bank.
- Lastly, Salesmen are the persuasion factors that sell an idea to those that are not entirely convinced of what they are hearing. This group can draw anyone to their side. If a salesman is convinced of your messages conveyed through the Web, then the power of persuasion will ripple through his or her network.
Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen actively exist on Facebook and Twitter, initiating trends and topics daily. Aiming messages and contacts with the “Law of the Few” in mind will dramatically strategize a world of social networking that can often feel aimless and incalculable. By following or befriending influential opinion leaders, companies can integrate contagious thought into the vast stream of knowledge exchange online.
- Sarah Cargill, Account Executive
