How Does The Market Move?

by Jay Deragon on November 11, 2009 · 1 comment

This entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

How Markets MoveMarkets move when new information enters a market.

Today markets are overloaded with new information flooding our minds and vying for our attention.

New and old media grabs our attention when it provides relevant and relative information that appeals to our affinities. Media surrounds us 24/7 both online and off-line. Media moves markets because it influences behavior, thinking, conversations and actions.

Markets are segmented into four categories regardless of product or service. Each group is influenced by information flooding each segment of the market. Each segment reacts to information in different ways. Social technology is accelerating propagation of information and then creating shorter reaction cycle times. These shorter cycle times is what is moving markets faster than ever before.

Lets Profile Each Market Segment

Segment D: These people and organizations create innovation by applying knowledge of what the market wants and needs and then creating new products and services. The information about new creations is then passed along to the markets. Historically this information was propagated using old media. Today the information is passed along both by old media channels and now new media channels, conversations. Segment D represent market creators, i.e. Apple, Google, Microsoft and a host of other organizations and people that create innovation that the market wants and needs. This segment is likely 5% or less of the entire marketplace.

Segment C: These people and organizations take the information about new knowledge and innovation and apply it to solving problems or creating new solutions. In other words they use the new knowledge about a process, a product or service and create improvements for their markets, their company and their personal lives. We can see this in the field of marketing and advertisers. All are trying to apply the knowledge of social media to improve results for their customers and/or their company. Look what Ford is doing with social media, Dell, Zappos etc. This segment is likely 15% or less of the entire marketplace during the early stages of development.

Segment B: These organizations and people migrate to the use of something new and learn how to use it from those creating use for it. This segment usually follows Segment C. Just consider how many organizations and people are using social media based on how the crowd uses social media. They learn how to use it based on how others are using it. Right, wrong and indifferent. This segment is likely 20% or less of the entire marketplace during the early stages of development.

Segment A: These organizations and people are aware of this new thing, whatever it is, but they either fail or simply decide not to act on it for whatever reason. However, the larger segments B & C becomes segment A gets pulled into whatever it is kicking and screaming. An example would be all those companies whose web sites are static, dead and have no social function whatsoever. Sure they are aware of this "social stuff" but do not consider it important, valuable or worthy of time and attention. That is until the market moves away from them or competitive pressure pushes them into it. This segment is likely 60% or more of the entire marketplace during the early stages of development.

The 80/20 rule applies to how markets move. 20% are the creators and early adopters applying new knowledge to improve. 80% are the users and those that standby and watch.

Which Segment Wins The Most?

SM Cycles of TransformationThe answer is obvious. Segment D &C because they lead the markets to the next phase of new knowledge created and used by segment B &A. The primary difference between each segment is knowledge, how to create it and apply it for gain.

Our economy is influenced by those that create and apply knowledge. Segments D&C is where most of the money flows because segments B &A are forced to consume that which is created by new knowledge. Why are they forced? Because markets move and when they do you have to move with them or get left behind. Today this cycle of movement is rapid because the markets of conversations are accelerating both the creation and consumption of new knowledge faster than ever before. Get it?

Which segment represents you or your company?

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The Power of Social Distribution

by Jay Deragon on November 16, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 2 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

social distributionIn the old days (and they are still around) media was "pushed" upon the masses and shaped our attitudes, beliefs and perspectives on everything.

Today our attitudes, beliefs and perspectives on everything are being shaped by a different kind of media. This new media is created by we the people and shared with those we have an affinity with.

Unlike the previous power curve of old media new media creates a different, more expansive, powerful and influential curve. The curve has to do with "virtual relationships" formed by the context of ones content with audience whom have an affinity to your audience. The attraction comes from the "human voice and not institutional" offering perspectives about everything and anything which draws others who seek related context of issue at the top of minds. Whenever and where ever they seek information, knowledge and relationships is driven by the reach and connectivity given by the internet.

The Power Of Distributed Content

If the knowledge you create (content) is in context with your markets interest then you just increased the probability of a relationship which may translate INto a transaction which is what you ultimately want. The difference today is how you get what you want is by giving others what they need, when they need it and enabling them to find it at the click of a mouse or from their friends. If they can’t find it or their friends aren’t suggesting it well then you lose.

The internet has now become the place to be found and to create value people are seeking. To not be able to understand and use it effectively is akin to saying “I don’t care how our market behaves”.

How Markets Are Behaving

Good content that attracts an audience is a powerful force that enhances people and organizational brand and the markets sentiment. Doc Searle has said "markets are conversations" and over time his statement verified by the power of social technology. Everyday that goes by the market of conversations grows in influence and leaves no industry or institution untouched by the growing influence. The problem is that most markets yet understand the dynamics, the process or the reach technology affords the market.

Some Simple Examples of Social Distribution

Social distribution represents a new market dynamic in which your content finds an affinity with an audience and the audience distributes it to their audience of followers.

On LinkedIn my direct connections represent a reach of over 4,000 first degree and second degree is 1,212,100+ and third degree is 13,858,900+. My indirect connection through groups represent over 200,000 people first degree. Do the math on 2nd and 3rd degree, it is huge. That is only on LinkedIn!

Now lets look at some single post from this blog and consider the impact of social distribution. One post titled 5 Things You Must Ask About Social Media in one week received over 60 ReTweets, 526 click-through and had a potential visibility to 215,760.

Lets look at one white paper titled "Social Media Directions" offered as a download. In one week 5,640 people had downloaded the white paper. Now consider the 1st degree connections of those 5,640 people then consider that their 2nd degree connections equated to more than 1.8 million people!

Social distribution has become the most powerful force ever to influence markets and how they behave. To ignore it is means your business will be ignored or worse yet negatively influenced by it. Do you now understand the power of social distribution?

If you say no then you are behind the market. If you say yes then lets see how well you understand it.

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What Does A Strategist Do?

by Jay Deragon on November 17, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 3 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

strategyPeople ask me "What do you do"? My response is "I am a social media strategist". Then I get a blank stare and the proverbial question of "what is that"?

I have also noticed other people titled as a "social media strategist" and yet their profile and background do not show any experience, training or knowledge of strategic development. Given what has been asked I have decided to define this ambiguous titled called "strategist".

Wikipedia defines a strategist as a person skilled in designing and planning action and policy to achieve a major or overall aim. A strategist has the ability to combine the creative, perceptive and holistic insights of a strategy with the pragmatic and systematic skills of a planner to guide strategic direction in context of business needs, brand intent, design quality and customer values. Enough of the academic definitions let's try and make this simple.

A Story About Strategy

Someone wants to meet you to discuss how you can help them with their business. They say "lets meet downtown on Wednesday". A strategist would ask "where are we meeting and what time?". The prospect responds "lets meet at 2:00 pm at the corner of Elm and Main Street". The strategist would respond "Can you give me a specific address?". The prospect would say "1102 Elm Street". The strategist would ask "Who will be at the meeting?". The prospect would say "Myself and our Director of Marketing". The strategist would ask "Do you have a specific agenda you'd like to cover?". The prospect would respond (slowly) "We want to discuss how to use social media and produce results with it?". The strategist would then ask "how much experience do you have using social media?". The prospect would say "We have profiles everywhere, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, a Linkedin group and a blog". The strategist would then ask "what are you doing with it?". The prospect responds "trying to create revenue with the people who follow us". The strategist would say "OK, thanks for the information and I'll see you on Wednesday as discussed".

Prior To The Meeting

Notice that the strategist asked a lot of questions before even meeting with the prospect. The answers to these questions clarified the information necessary to meet and provided a background about what the prospect wanted to accomplish and how were they currently pursuing the goals.

Subsequent to getting the preliminary information the strategist would then do his/her homework before the meeting. The homework would include market intelligence about the prospects market (the value proposition and the markets needs), their customers (where they are and who they are), the competition (what they are doing and how they are doing it), their web presence (traffic, use of social technology and design), their employees activity on the web and last put not least what and why the market may or may not respond to the value proposition and how is it being marketed.

The Meeting

When the meeting occurs a good strategist would start by simply asking more questions like:

  1. What results are your current activities producing?
  2. Do you know what your competition is doing?
  3. Do you know where your customers are?
  4. Do you know what content is in context to your markets wants and needs?
  5. What are the key benefits of your offerings to the marketplace?
  6. How do your employees feel about the organization? Are they active on the web and what are they saying about your company?
  7. What do your current customers say about your product, service and reputation?

I could go on and on but by now I hope you get the point. Near the end of the meeting the strategist would share with the participants his/her preliminary findings to the very questions that most prospects cannot answer. The strategist would use pictures to illustrate the value of having the right data needed to answer the right questions. The strategist would then say "I don't pretend to have all the data required to guide you at this point but I know how to get you the data and that is the first step in developing the right strategy. Without the right strategy and knowledge you are wasting time and money and will not produce any results.

A strategist knows how to ask the right questions and get them answered with data. From these answers a strategist is skilled at working with the prospect to offer them necessary knowledge and help them through the use of the knowledge to reach their goals. A strategist educates, guides and facilitates development of a road map for the entire organization to use to reach their aim. A good strategist then transfers his/her knowledge to the client so they can reach the goals on their own over time. A good strategist helps an organization execute towards the goal but does so with knowledge, training and a method that brings lasting value.

A label doesn't make anyone a strategist without having the knowledge, experience skill and mind set that goes with being labeled a "strategist". A strategist isn't someone who will get you more followers on Twitter rather he/she will provide you with the knowledge of how to attract the right followers.

It is difficult to go anywhere without having a road map and directions on how to get where you want to go. Knowing how to define your road map and what routes will get you there is what a good strategist does. Using social media without a road map will take you nowhere.

How is that for explaining what a strategist does?

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An Intention Economy?

by Jay Deragon on November 18, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

Marketers act as thought we are all cattle waiting to be herded into a transaction. It seems as though the prevailing thought about all this social technology is that it enables organizations to "herd" us into their community and they use trick of the trade to do so.

Ever consider what is the intention of the large social networks? Facebook wants our traffic so they can sell ads to the marketers. The market still fails to understand that we don't want ads rather we're looking for conversations that have an affinity to our own intentions.

What Is Your Intention?

Doc Searls writes: My thinking out loud about what came to be called VRM began with The Intention Economy at Linux Journal, which I posted from a seat amidst the audience at the 2006 eTech in San Diego. The money ‘graphs:

The Intention Economy grows around buyers, not sellers. It leverages the simple fact that buyers are the first source of money, and that they come ready-made. You don’t need advertising to make them.

The Intention Economy is about markets, not marketing. You don’t need marketing to make Intention Markets.

The Intention Economy is built around truly open markets, not a collection of silos. In The Intention Economy, customers don’t have to fly from silo to silo, like a bees from flower to flower, collecting deal info (and unavoidable hype) like so much pollen. In The Intention Economy, the buyer notifies the market of the intent to buy, and sellers compete for the buyer’s purchase. Simple as that.

The Intention Economy is built around more than transactions. Conversations matter. So do relationships. So do reputation, authority and respect. Those virtues, however, are earned by sellers (as well as buyers) and not just “branded” by sellers on the minds of buyers like the symbols of ranchers burned on the hides of cattle.

The Intention Economy is about buyers finding sellers, not sellers finding (or “capturing”) buyers.

In The Intention Economy, a car rental customer should be able to say to the car rental market, “I’ll be skiing in Park City from March 20-25. I want to rent a 4-wheel drive SUV. I belong to Avis Wizard, Budget FastBreak and Hertz 1 Club. I don’t want to pay up front for gas or get any insurance. What can any of you companies do for me?” — and have the sellers compete for the buyer’s business…

I also believe we need to start viewing economies, and markets, from the inside out: from the single buyer toward the surrounding world of sellers. And to start constructing technical solutions to the buyer’s problem of getting what he or she wants from markets, rather than the seller’s problem of getting buyers’ attention.

Doc is a man who sees a system of complexity and tries to make it simply, useful and meaningful. His original work, The Cluetrain Manifesto, was based on the theme that "markets are conversations" and he has worked to build a new system (VRM) which truly enables a new way for markets to run.

Markets were born out of consumption. Consumption fueled the industrial economy which created behemoth institutions, large amounts of capital and greed. Market leaders believed their methods, their products and their power was the reason why the market existed.

The information economy fueled broader market awareness from which markets became smarter, more informed and "connected". This information was fueled by and from communications enabled by emerging technology. Information then created new knowledge for market consumption. Knowledge was then propagated through relationships formulated on-line and off-line. The aggregation of consumer conversations enabled by technology fueled awareness of market methods and intents. Consumers found influence from relationships and have begun to "opt out" of the old methods created by the markets.

Social technology has created a transparency of intent. Intent is a relational attribute that reveals motive. The "markets of conversations" are no longer motivated by old methods used by the markets over the last 40 years. As Doc has said so well "The Intention Economy is built around more than transactions. Conversations matter. So do relationships. So do reputation, authority and respect. Those virtues, however, are earned by sellers (as well as buyers) and not just “branded” by sellers on the minds of buyers like the symbols of ranchers burned on the hides of cattle."

Markets willl no longer be herded into a transaction.

Stay tuned for Doc's new book "The Intention Economy".

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The 2010 Social Media Stampede

by Jay Deragon on November 27, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 5 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

It is happening. Everywhere you turn, online and off-line, everyone is discussing or publishing stories about social media. The level of attention is akin to a loud noise created by a stampede. You can hear it in the distance but you can't tell how big it really is.

A stampede implies a mass impulse among a crowd of people in which the herd (or crowd) collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose. Stampedes are believed to originate from biological responses in the brains and endocrine systems

A large stampede will frequently eliminate anything in its path. The irony of a stampede is the historical response is to attempt to turn the moving mob into itself, so that it runs in circles rather than self-destructing by running over a cliff or into a river, or from damaging human life or property by overrunning objects,businesses and people in its path.

How Big Will the Social Media Stampede be in 2010?

Us market interest in social mediaTo answer this simply ask yourself if the term, the stories and the awareness has increased in just the last six months. You should conclude yes. Then lets ask how much has the awareness, interest and demand for learning increased? Look at the chart to the left, over 600% increasein 2 short years through the end of 2009 and that is just the beginning.

Like most things new, people and businesses run towards it because it is the latest trend or market fad. The reality is that social media is neither rather is represents a "systemic shift" in how markets behave and will operate in the future. When a system shifts it creates a "gaping void" in knowledge of its meaning, value and intent because the "bandwagon effect" creates a stampede of interest, usage and mostly without a defined purpose or intent. Thus many, if not most, will run off the cliff and into the "river of destructive forces" and drown in their ignorance.

Drowning In Ignorance?

Yep, you heard me. When you jump into something that is over your head you can drown if you are not in the right condition. Your condition is relative to the knowledge you have about "the current, the depth and how well you can swim or stay afloat". What do I mean?

Today most of the market is focused on using social technology as an extension of old marketing methods, pushing out messages. Even with overwhelming evidence that the old method is not what the market wants (96% of the ads on Facebook don't click, 90% of corporate blogs are not conversational etc etc.) marketers continue down this path like a stampede headed for the cliff. Given this stampede the herd mentality has created the "bandwagon effect" which according to the data has the market moving swiftly chasing all things "social" without thinking about being social.

Following the behavior of others reflects a pack mentality. Pack behavior is how individuals in a group can act together without planned direction. The term pertains to human conduct during activities, such as using social media, and even everyday decision making, judgment and opinion forming. Unless we stop and think about the implications of what we do and how we do it we can find ourselves following the crowd over the cliff. Not thinking and following a crowd nowhere is the first indication of ignorance. Sorry but how else would you explain it?

The stampede is moving and the crowd is swelling. We will see the crowd grow in 2010. A few will step aside from the stampede and think. Most will follow the stampede over the cliff and drown. Which would you rather be?

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2010: Markets Will Do The Unusual

by Jay Deragon on December 8, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 6 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

At the end of every year it seems everyone has a prediction of what is to come next year. Trends can lead one to predictive analysis of likely events on the horizon with some being relevant to planning and some only relative to what your actually planning to do next year.

With each year that passes one thing is certain, things will change. However the pace of change is no longer a yearly process rather it is daily.

Whether for business or personal one change is certain, you have to learn to do more with less. Less time, less money and less excuses. The economy is in a state of flux as are the market dynamics for every market segment. If you haven't noticed markets have been in turmoil throughout 2009 and this turmoil is changing how markets operate. Business as usual is out and business unusual is in.

What Is Unusual?

Unusual means doing things differently than you have in the past. Differently in the sense of what, who, when, where and why you do certain things. Social technology is fueling change and the primary change required to do the unusual begins with how we think.

Whether personal or professional thinking about making progress in the coming year means we need to put past, present and future changes into context that relate to our own plans. Today the context is about communications and relationships both which are critical elements to making any gains personally or professionally.

What is unusual about communications and relationships? What is unusual is that both have dramatically shifted away from the usual. Much of the wisdom about relationships and communications is old but our culture and markets have rejected age old wisdom choosing instead to discount relations and propagate meaningless communications aimed at manipulating markets, relationships.

Markets are moving because the market behavior has changed. Change can be good if you know what is changing and choose to adapt, adjust and use it to your advantage.

Below are some trends provided by trendwatching.com that reflect the changes happening around us and our businesses.

From Trendwatching.com

Forget the recession: the societal changes that will dominate 2010 were set in motion way before we temporarily stared into the abyss. More »

Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world. More »

Whatever it is you're selling or launching in 2010, it will be reviewed 'en masse', live, 24/7. More »

Closely tied to what constitutes status (which is becoming more fragmented), luxury will be whatever consumers want it to be over the next 12 months. More »

Online lifestyles are fueling and encouraging 'real world' meet-ups like there's no tomorrow, shattering all cliches and predictions about a desk-bound, virtual, isolated future. More »

To really reach some meaningful sustainability goals in 2010, corporations and governments will have to forcefully make it 'easy' for consumers to be more green, by restricting the alternatives. More »

Tracking and alerting are the new search, and 2010 will see countless new INFOLUST services that will help consumers expand their web of control. More »

Next year, generosity as a trend will adapt to the zeitgeist, leading to more pragmatic and collaborative donation services for consumers. More »

With hundreds of millions of consumers now nurturing some sort of online profile, 2010 will be a good year to introduce some services to help them make the most of it (financially), from intention-based models to digital afterlife services. More »

2010 will be even more opinionated, risqué, outspoken, if not 'raw' than 2009; you can thank the anything-goes online world for that. Will your brand be as daring? More »

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Why Do Markets Move?

by Jay Deragon on December 13, 2009 · 0 comments

This entry is part 7 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

recession-recoveryThe economy has disrupted traditional economics and is fueling the need to change business strategies and methods. Most importantly the foundation of how we view markets must change.

Social media is adding fuel to the fire of market movements based on the influence of a new market. The market of conversations.

Previously a post attempted to cover the relevant and relative issues of "How Do Markets Move?". However even if we understand "how" not understanding "why" does not help put current market conditions into perspective.

If markets are moving we need to understand why, what and how they are moving. We can be behind, follow or ahead of the market. The choice is ours.

So Why Do Markets Move?

Markets are influenced by opinions. Today everyone has been empowered by the web to express their opinion about anything and anyone. Google's real time search now displays opinions in real time based on whatever topical or person search criteria we seek from the "universal library". Good, bad and indifferent opinions used to influence us via old media models and limited channel distribution. Today that model has been disrupted by the empowered masses whose opinion now influences markets more than the markets influence the masses.

Omar Hague writes: Why Controversy Won't Power Next-Gen News " One of the new competencies the news media is going to have manage is opinion arbitrage. In an era of media production devolved to the masses, everyone can finally express their opinion. So publishers will have to learn to, to put it crudely, buy opinion low and sell it high."

"To play the opinion arb game, news publishers have to stop seeking simply the most controversial opinions. They're abundant: every talking head can churn one out, and faux "news" of every kind is already chock full of 'em shrieking at one another. Instead, successful opinion arbitrageurs must seek the most informed opinions, gooey with expertise, thick with real value for readers."

Those opinions are worth the most — and they're what readers will pay for.

"Controversy, in contrast, is worth a great deal only in terms of low-value readers. Your average radical libertarian Ayn Rand-worshipping global warming denialist isn't exactly a high-value reader — just like your average patchouli-sniffing communistic hippie isn't, either. Both are unlikely to pay for new information, because both think they know it all already. It's the market in the middle that's worth the most; they have the highest propensity to consume new stuff: "new"s."

"Opinion arbitrage is really the game of setting the terms of a better, more meaningful debate — one that imparts readers with deep, enduring knowledge. That's what the Financial Times and the Economist, among a select group of others, have excelled at — and it's what's powering them to the top of a moribund industry."

Knowledge Will Create New Markets and Move Old Ones

Social technology is fueling meaningful topical debate amongst peers. These debates impart new knowledge and learning initiated by the crowds. You cna see the intent of these conversations are relevant to learning how, what, where, when and why people seek information. The flow and organization of information is becoming more powerful on a dialy basis.

Google's real time search and Twitter list are but just two examples of how information is being aggregated into intentional context which makes finding information more relevant to the market. Vetting the information is still a time consuming task but technology will advance and enable us to find new knowledge in less time. As Omar suggest content in context is what provides readers with deep, enduring knowledge that is relevant and relative to advancements that create new markets and transform old one.

Why do markets move? They move because people use knowledge to create new markets and transform old ones.

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What Is Your "Social Wave Strategy"?

by Jay Deragon on January 24, 2010 · 1 comment

This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions
When large waves hit the landscape the subsequent results change the landscape.

There is a swelling wave of social technology that is indeed changing the business landscape. From Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the host of other social platforms conversations from the masses, both on-line and off-line have become mainstream.

The subsequent impacts initially have a lot of people wondering what all this means while a few think and create where it is going. For businesses the critical issue remains one of "what will you do" as a result of all this on-line and off-line activity fueled by peoples interest in this thing called "social media"? To properly answer the question smart companies are stepping back from all the chatter and thinking through what is the best strategy for leveraging all this "social stuff" for the long term. At the same time most organizations are simply jumping in without thinking through the strategic implications and subsequently all they are doing is fueling the chatter with meaningless content.

A Social Wave Strategy?

Waves are formed by systemic shifts under the ocean and initially they are not seen by the human eye. Similarly waves of change in market shifts begin with small ripples of change in the way people and businesses interact with market intentions. Small ripples become waves when more and more people use instruments of change. The more people that use the instruments the bigger the wave becomes. Swelling with momentum social media is indeed causing changes in how markets operate and people communicate. Most businesses cannot see the size of the wave building but they can see and hear something in the distance.

The social wave is indeed swelling and advancing technology will accelerate the size and impact of the wave. The closer the wave gets to your business landscape the more visible it will become. However, when it becomes visible it may be to late for you to prepare for its impact. To not know that the "social wave" is building means you are not looking at the movement of the landscape in front of you. Not knowing and not preparing means that the "social wave" may displace the landscape that you are currently standing on. This means you will be displaced by those who can see the "social wave" coming and are prepared to ride it with the intent to remove you from the buyers landscape.

The "social wave" isn't about following social media and all the related technology today rather it is about thinking and planning strategically with the intent to create your own wave tomorrow. To do so you must rise above all today's " meaningless chatter" and think about creating meaningful value that fulfills the markets of intent. What are markets of intent? What is a "social wave strategy"? Watch the slide show below.

Want a more detailed presentation? email me: jay dot deragon at gmail dot com

Social Wave Strategy

View more presentations from Jay Deragon.
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Social Fringe Factor: Outside In

by Jay Deragon on January 31, 2010 · 1 comment

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Social Media Directions

On the fringes of conversations lies innovation. Innovation is what changes dynamics, markets and human behavior. While we may think of innovation being a product or service in reality innovation begins with thinking which then is transformed into words.

Words carry power when the exchange of words creates new thinking which begets new action and a change in behavior. If you haven't notice social media represents an exchange of thoughts communicated in words, images and video's which creates actions from the crowd. The crowd then vets the thoughts expressed in multiple forms of media and then decides which "thoughts" are worthy of future consideration".

Future Considerations Come From the Fringe Factors

A large percentage of "0n-line conversations" can be categorized s chatter about existing things. A small percentage of conversations can be categorized as things yet existing but possibly existing with the right thinking and subsequent actions. Before social technology, which wasn't long ago, the masses really couldn't exchange at the rate which exist today. Today nuggets of innovation rest in the smaller percentage of conversations that are discussing and observing how social media is changing dynamics, behavior and entire markets.

So what are you considering? If you are thinking from the inside your considerations are relevant to what is not what could be. If you are sitting and thinking on the fringes of the outside you are thinking what could be then making what could be a reality by collaborating with the crowd of others seeking what could be rather than what is. All this social stuff merely accelerates the communications which stem from the thinking of the few rather than the many.

So unless you consider the fringe from the outside you will never be able to get out from the inside. Get it?

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