When I found this information on from Forrester Research , I immediately thought of “Social Climbers”. However, it’s not what you think

What it tells you  is “look before you leap” and find out HOW your audience uses social media. AKA “Social Technographics(r).

For example, say you wanted to create an online community or social network for your business. You need content, and you assume that if you build it, and give your audience the ability to create blogs, they will come, and blog, and create the content for you.

What if based on this cool tool, they aren’t Creators, they are instead Spectators? Then it’s pretty useless to create a community where they can blog, right? It would make more sense to find the bloggers they already read and are influenced by. Who also allow comments on blog posts.

You could then do a couple of things. You could invite those bloggers to blog on your community. (And offer them some sort of social currency or even hard currency to do so). Or you could hire your own bloggers to create content that is related AND goes deeper into the topic.

Then you could create a comment strategy and go start commenting on the blog your ideal users read. And link back to specific, relevant blog posts on your community.

Watch the slide show, then play with the Social Technology Profile Tool. Enjoy!

Social Technology Profile Tool

What are your thoughts?

It’s about time somebody wrote this book. And, David Silver is the one to write it. I like it because it’s practical. David breaks down 18 revenue channels for online communities, and none of them are advertising. Interesting huh? Want to know what they are? Listen in to this interview and you will see. Better yet, grab a copy of the book for your library. It’s a keeper.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK BUSINESS PLAN: 18 Strategies That Will Create Great Wealth. (He’s got my attention

USA Today says, “If entrepreneurship is a religion, then Silver is its high priest.”>

In The Social Network Business Plan, social network expert, David Silver presents and explains 18 cutting-edge methods to create revenue for social network websites–none of which are advertising.

He also predicts the demise of seemingly successful online communities such as MySpace and Facebook that rely on advertising as non-sustainable modalities.

David says the future new products and services will be introduced, talked about, rated, reviewed and recommended – or killed – by online communities.

Listen in on The Business of Online Thought Leadership internet radio show