Do you remember how you came to become a fan of a company or organization on Facebook? Do you remember why you started following a company or organization on Twitter? Were any of those decisions to fan or follow a company or organization influenced by a friend?
Several friends of mine have gotten some really great jobs in the past few months at big-name companies. For example, Cristina Sotolongo now works for the Miami Science Museum, Lori Marie Todd now works for John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Mallory Colliflower now works for AutoNation.
I’ve known about these companies well before my friends started working there, but it wasn’t until they were hired that I felt compelled to hit that “Become a Fan” or “Follow” button. I wonder how many people react the same way I do. I can think of a few reasons for taking action once they’re hired:
1. I want to support them and the company they now work with.
2. I know the greatness they’re capable of and want a front row seat to all their projects.
3. I now feel a more personal connection to the company or organization.
That personal connection feeling is what I find very interesting. In all honesty, I can’t really analyze that feeling and was hoping for some other perspectives. What are your thoughts?
Thanks, Agustina! I agree with you 100%. Just goes to show that employees are arguably the BEST brand ambassadors for any company, organization or product!
I wonder what this means for brand loyalty. Are people more apt to be loyal to a particular brand, company or organization because their friends work there?
Now my wheels are turning…would love to elaborate on this at some point.
Great post!
well this goes back to the need for “authenticity” in social media. Since you know these lovely ladies, you know they are genuine, so it adds credibility to these brands. Lots of brands employing social media evangelists still maintain a shroud of opacity over their campaigns and thus miss out on this exact type of goodwill.
Even if we aren’t altogether familiar with a company or how it works, I think we have a tendency to give it a chance if people we trust are working in its behalf. We’re not naive — we know everyone has to make compromises to make a living, especially in the corporate sphere. But I optimistically believe that good organizations are made so, or made better, by the good people they employ. In short, I agree!
I also love the fact that without social media, I would have never met the lovely ladies you also wrote about in this post. Thanks for wanting a front row seat to our new ventures! I can’t wait to keep collaborating, brainstorming, tweeting and being social with all of you.
[...] The Influence of Friends in the Social Sphere [...]