I have never failed to notice the irony that I use more products from Apple and Google than from any other company. The irony is that these are among the two least social companies in end user technologies, and I spend much of my life arguing the case for social media in business.
It is why I tell companies that before they get to social media, they need to make great products. Despite a couple of possible stumbles in recent days, both these companies consistently bring innovative and brilliants stuff to market, stuff that I soon find I simply cannot live without.
Earlier this week Google Buzz, yet another social network platform was introduced to near immediate and unanimous disaffection in the social media community. The problem was that it grabbed and shared user contact data when a user joined. Google was make a decision for users that a great many of us did not like.
It took less than 48 hours by my count, from when the first complaints appeared in social media, to Google reversing its decision and changing what was automatically shared.
With a few commendable exceptions, Google–like Apple–has not much joined the social media conversation and I have speculated that when Google or Appple stumble they will regret that.
But here was Google, doing the ultimate social media company thing: it listened and responded and changed. It let users decide what was good for the users. It did not argue back. It did not get marketing to start a campaign to change people’s minds, it simply listened, responded and adjusted course.
This sort of customer participation in products and company policies blurs the lines between customer and company. It lets those who use products collaborate with those who make them and is the core theme of the new book I’ve started working on.
I played with Buzz last night. I found it neat in quite a few ways. Of course there was my friend @scobleizer dominating every nook and cranny of it, but that’s what Robert does. He likes to be in the front of the line when something new and shiny and social comes to market, and then he likes to generate buzz.
I’m different. I hold back. I let others decide what’s cool and trendy and I wait to see what is likely to be enduring. I’m obviously partial to Twitter and that will remain my primary social network, not because of it’s feature set and certainly not because it is the most reliable platform.
It’s where most of my social media friends hang out. If I ever leave Twitter, it will because they left Twitter. My guess is there are more laggards like me than there are early adopters like Scoble.
But for Buzz to get me to pack up out of Twitterville and move to Buzz, converting Scoble is a very important first step.
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I completely agree. I’ve gotten past the golly-geewhiz early adopter phase. When I check out something new, I give nodding (perhaps grudging) attention to the details of user interface etc.
But my big question now is “how useful is it?” And in social media, usefulness is a function of WHO not HOW.
Buzz for now a toy — maybe a nifty alternate universe — but I’m not going to spend much energy there until it becomes a *populated* universe.
Yes, we are listening. Thanks.
This time I was amazed at the real time coverage of Google Buzz – even CNN and CNBC were there on the first day (though they didn’t really add that much to the coversation.) Doing a search on Twitter for coverage gave me quite the oversight into what was going on – and most importantly what the people I have come to respect (like @scobleizer) thought of it. I wasn’t really interested in “what is it?” but rather their takes on how it could be used in integrated into our everyday toolbox.
I am so like you. Here’s a quote from your post that made me say that. I am the same and agree with these:
“I’m different. I hold back. I let others decide what’s cool and trendy and I wait to see what is likely to be enduring. I’m obviously partial to Twitter and that will remain my primary social network, not because of it’s feature set and certainly not because it is the most reliable platform.
It’s where most of my social media friends hang out. If I ever leave Twitter, it will because they left Twitter. My guess is there are more laggards like me than there are early adopters like Scoble.”
For me, Twitterville rocks! :)
Confession, I have not tried Google Buzz yet – I will later, maybe this weekend …
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