Embracing the Human Web
August 5, 2009 by Jenni
Quick – you need a restaurant recommendation for a special night out; do you…
A. Google “Winter Park, FL restaurants”
B. Send out a tweet asking for help
C. Check reviews on Yelp!
Yesterday’s HARO (Help a Reporter Out) conference call, hosted by Peter Shankman and Chris Brogan, introduced listeners to the idea of the “human web” versus the “machine web” – and why brands need to utilize one more than the other.
The human web includes social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Yelp! – while the machine web refers to search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. When you’re looking for movie times, it is smart to get help from Google – but if you want a review, your human network is probably your best bet.
For example, some critics deemed recent movie Brüno the “one-day wonder” due to the fact that its numbers declined 40% from Friday to Saturday. Time suggested that Twitter might be to blame, claiming that “Brüno could be the first movie defeated by the Twitter effect.” As moviegoers tweeted their various experiences, ranging from walking out of the theater to being completely mortified, their followers caught on.
It is sometimes easy to forget that search engines are, in the end, machines fueled by search algorithms and, in some cases, advertisements. Having a “loyal army,” as Shankman puts it, is vital to brands in the social media age. It might be easier for a consumer to ask a search engine what restaurants are in the area, but if the consumer asks their Twitter followers to suggest one, they get a recommendation from someone they trust – whether they know them personally or not. On the same note, as discussed in the conference call, a recommendation from a loyal customer is more trusted than the restaurant itself suggesting you try their newest dish.
The key for businesses is to get customers to be their biggest fans (and their ultimate source for PR) – but this is easier said than done. One step in the right direction is to make sure you are interacting with your social media network… not just having a one-sided conversation.
Photo credit: hyku
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'); ?>Tags: Chris Brogan, HARO, Peter Shankman, Social Media