BOW+ARROW

Recently, PricewaterhouseCoopers released their latest update to their Global Entertainment & Media Outlook for 2010-2014.

As you can imagine, much of the report focused on the impact of new media and the observation that “consumers are embracing new media experiences with staggering speed.”

More specifically, they claimed that the trend propelling the entertainment and media industry most is the “re-socialisation” of the media consumption experience.

According to Marcel Fenez from PWC, “Historically reading books or newspapers has been a solitary activity. However the combination of digital access, mobility and social networking is seeing consumption of all forms of media migrate from a solo activity towards being a social experience as consumers use social networking forums to discuss and share their views and content.”

However, many would argue that this trend of “re-socialization” doesn’t end with the entertainment and media industry – but rather, extends to all industries, as even simple purchases are moving from solo activities to social activities.

Not too long ago, Rubicon Consulting released a whitepaper citing online communities – including Facebook and Twitter – as the second most influential factor in US consumer purchases – second only to direct word of mouth. Interestingly, the report found that:

• Small groups of enthusiasts dominate most online conversations. In fact, only about 9% of web users produce 80% of all user-generated content.

Given the above statistic, it’s not hard to agree with another key finding within the report: most web users are voyeurs more than contributors.

Now, before knowing those two statistics you may have imagined social networks as being similar to a beehive – chaotic, a lot of noise and no real focus. However, the findings from the Rubicon research suggest that social networks are more like a theatre – a small group of people ‘perform’ while others watch and form their opinions based upon the performance.

So, who’s performing in these social networks? According to the April 2010 issue of the Harvard Business Review, it’s most likely the “extreme consumers”. These are the evangelists, bloggers and the early adopters of a brand. They interact with the brands online and they interact often. Most often, they’re loyal, they have resources to develop long-term purchasing relationships with the brand, and they add value either by spreading the word or trying to improve the product or service through their feedback.

So, now that you know who they are, how do you use them? The HBR article suggests the following:

• Let customers take ownership

Give them the tools and channels to help attract other customers

• Ask customers for help

Whether it’s product testing or small feedback, when customers feel that they’re a part of the process, they’re happier with the results.

• Sponsor events

Tailoring events for your extreme consumers can promote a feeling of belonging and create a positive buzz that lasts longer than the typical industry news cycle.

• Share customer stories

As mentioned, social media and word of mouth carry the most influence in terms of purchasing behavior. So help spread the word.

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This post was featured as a social media nightmare segment of the July 17th edition of This Week In Social Media.

Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith