Branded Social Media Networks

In an effort to control their social media participation, brand managers often consider creating their own social media platform for customers and prospects to join. Challenge with this approach is you have to change their behavior. The biggest challenge with humans is getting them to change their behavior. The only company that seems to successfully challenge human behavior is Apple. Not everyone can be Apple Computer.

One of the chief features of social media is the ability to participate in a larger community without needing to reinvent it. The idea with social media marketing is that your reach can be extended by publishing on existing social sites.

Post a question on your website, you get a few responses. Pose the same question to LinkedIn you get many, many more answers.

Which raises the question: Why do corporations and brand managers keep trying to make their own social networks? It really doesn't make sense, but it sure gets the black turtlenecks excited, and in turn really blunts the effectiveness of your ad spend.

Here's the deal: You get more power out of using third party networks than controlling your own.

Why?
More members. Bigger networks have bigger lists of members. Even Ning leverages this with search and profile management.
More viral. Viral messages need vectors to spread. Members=vectors. End of story.
More traffic. Oh, more members + more new members (viral) = more traffic.

Of course, if you don't believe this, then enjoy taking on Facebook, LinkedIn and Ning.

Paul is the President of Professional Blog Service. PBS works with clients making strategic investments into business blogging, social media and search engine optimization.