Chapter 25
We Earn the Relationships We Deserve
Twitter and social networks in general are luring users into a Web of both interconnected and extended connections—forging potentially valuable relationships with the individuals we know and those we admire, respect, and one day hope to know.
The race to extend one's social graph across the statusphere is laying the groundwork for a more formidable platform to share one's thoughts, opinions, observations, messages, and agenda. This is as true for individuals as it is for marketers, sales organizations, and brands.
EARNING THE THREE FS: FRIENDS, FANS, AND FOLLOWERS
As Twitter's civilization personifies the natural tendency to extend the connections that strengthen the network, individuals also share the desire to participate in the expansion. As such, we, as a dedicated online society, grow in prominence.
As personalities, the path between where we are and where we would like to be is defined by our actions and the practices we embody. We have a choice to increase our congregation organically or through prescribed measures. Brands too, face the same crossroads.
Trend and keyword marketing or hashtag exploitation are two very different tactics that attempt to yield similar results. Trend and keyword marketing are usually reactive in their composition. Reactive campaigns are rooted in the discovery of online conversations related to particular keywords, for example:
“I'm looking for help with HDTVs.”
“I am so upset with X company; ...
