In applying The Tipping Point to social media, we’ve covered the power of one message (the Stickiness Factor) or one person (the Law of the Few) to “tip” your campaign toward epidemic “viral” proportions. But the third and final agent of change (the Power of Context) referenced in Malcolm Gladwell’s book is all about community:
“If you want to bring about a fundamental change in people’s belief and behavior, a change that persists and serves as an example to others, you need to create a community around them, where those new beliefs can be practiced and expressed and nurtured.”
You already do this in your social media communities - building relationships with a group of people who share your interests, background and/or goals. The right message, shared by the right person, within this community speaks to the Power of Context.
The Broken Windows Theory
Based on studies of the rise and fall of crime epidemics, Gladwell points to the Power of Context as it relates to the Broken Windows theory:
“If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge…. Broken Windows theory and the Power of Context are one in the same. They are both based on the premise that an epidemic can be reversed, can be tipped, by tinkering with the smallest of details of the immediate environment.”
In the case of social media, the “immediate environment” is your Facebook page, Twitter page, or any other social media presence. But instead of broken windows, we’re talking incomplete profiles, links that don’t work, and the most recent posts dated weeks or months prior. Clearly, these are signs whoever’s in charge doesn’t care, or doesn’t know what they’re doing. Either way, social media accounts with “broken windows” attract only negative attention from members of the community who respect the space and take the time to nurture it.
The Magic Number 150
Based on extensive research of primates (humans included) in social situations, British anthropologist Robin Dunbar concludes:
“The figure of 150 seems to represent the maxinum number of individuals with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship, the kind of relationship that goes with knowing who they are and how they relate to us. Putting it another way, it’s the number of people you would not feel enbarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar.”
So instead of focusing on building your numbers, what you should be focusing on is building genuine relationships with the friends or followers you’ve got.
In many social media mindsets, 150 friends on Facebook may seem sparse, and 150 followers on Twitter downright embarrassing. But what if you engaged with all 150 of them on a regular basis? So they not only know who you are, but they know what you think, what you care about and what you do.
You’re much more likely to make an impression on 150 people who feel they really know you than 5,000 people for whom you’re just another name or face in the Facebook news stream or Twitter feed. This is not to say you should avoid building your friend or follower numbers, only that you should focus on a top 150 (or so) with whom you engage on a regular basis. Just choose them wisely: people whose ideas you are genuinely attracted to AND who fall into the influential Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen categories referenced in Part I of this series, The Law of the Few.
“Environmental Tipping Points are things we can change,” writes Gladwell.
To that end, keep current on your social media accounts and take the time to actively engage with a select group of people. So every time you share ideas, news, products or services, it will be within the context of a welcoming environment (i.e., page), frequented by as many as 150 people anxious to quickly and passionately support their friend.
Read Social Media and The Tipping Point (Part 1 of 3): The Law of the Few
Read Social Media and The Tipping Point (Part 2 of 3): The Stickiness Factor
With gratitude,
Meredith Simonds, Social Media Reviewer, Blogger and Consultant
The social media suggestions in this post are general and brief. To see what a comprehensive review entails, check out my Social Media Services.
