David Armano at Logic+Emotion posted a great visual explaining the different roles consumers can play in a social media landscape. (Here is the post).

People can be user, consumer, customer, producer, participants and community member. But at the centre is that understanding that we are human beings. David asks

So the geeks build the platforms and networks. The users use them. The users become participants. Participants form the networks and communities and participation in communities sucks up our time and attention.

Then where does that leave marketing?

Marketing comes in when the geeks build the platforms and networks: but not for themselves, but for someone else. When you build a platform that is not for “yourself”, it is necessary to understand your potential user, so that they can use it and become participants. One big question remains: How can I understand my customers so that I can build platforms that makes “users us them”?

One example: How would you build a social network for physicians? Either you are lucky and find a physician who is geek AND who needs a social networking platform or you need the “right” marketing people that help you understand your future users. Because questionnaires won’t do the job.

Read the full posts here.

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