Week 3. Ch 7,8

In the chapters we get better understanding of commercial implications of the Internet. People sharing their opinions on products/companies greatly contribute to various businesses, save their money and make them move further. Word-of-mouth is a greatest tool which companies need to learn how to use, i.e. how to energize their customers. I loved the example of Ebags (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6-OmLq82eU: that’s pretty much the summary of chapter 7), and I was so energized by the authors of the book that I told my roommate about this website. It turned out that she is now thinking of buying a new suitcase since hers has recently cracked. So she went to the site, found the bag and ordered it.

As it is said in the book there are three main techniques to connect some brand’s enthusiasts:      

• tap into customer’s enthusiasm with ratings and reviews
• create a community
• participate in and energize online communities of the brand enthusiasts

Another technique which I can suggest is to make people have fun, and people will like you and talk about you. I've got this idea by watching this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd8KFUrPcS8

And speaking about emotions, I was impressed by Michelle and TJ’s story about the support which they received through social network. I think that kind of thing is very important. In our social network there often appear groups which call for help, for support to the families which need money for medicine or operations for their children, etc. And I see how many people join the groups. Unfortunately it‘s hard to estimate how many people do actually help and contribute money. Another question is, how many people trust such kind of appeals.

“Clearly, the groundswell is a fantastic support system”.

Another example of support systems is Dell support forum. It excites me that Jeff Stenski just helps people without even being paid for that. That is a wonderful proof of the whole idea of groundswell – connecting people; everything is about relations. A commercial side of it – it saves money. One answer given by Jeff “is all online and searchable. … That’s at least $1,000 that Jeff has saved Dell   with this one post alone”. Isn’t that incredible?

Getting people building something together is the best option, from my point of view. That always unites and makes people happy. “Using wikis is a common way for companies to harness the collaborative power of their employees”. Outsiders of a certain company can contribute to the wiki in various areas not covered by this company, and it adds value to the clients. They feel that they are important not only as customers who bring money but also as collaborators.