Comments on: Got Whuffie? Then You’ve Got Social Cred

By: Ken Yeung

Ken Yeung — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:31:59 +0000

@Darius – appreciate your comment. Glad you liked the post.

Good point on the whuffie concept. Tara has mentioned that every time I've heard her speak and it's even in her book – so the whuffie concept isn't a new thing, but the way she phrases it and defines it in her book probably is. Either way, the whuffie concept is still a good thing.

Thanks for the book recommendations. I'll add it to my continuously growing “wish list”.

By: darius

darius — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:26:03 +0000

Nice post, Ken. I've been thinking I should pick up this book.

By the way, the whuffie concept is a creation of Cory Doctorow, from his book “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.” It's a fun read if you're looking for something. I also recommend highly my favorite by Cory, “Little Brother”.

By: Ken Yeung

Ken Yeung — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:28:43 +0000

I agree with you that power belongs to the audience. They're the people buying what you're selling after all, right? But it also boils down to credibility and trust as well and a new way of "selling". I hate to use that word "selling", but basically that's what it is. With all the shenanigans that marketers are pushing out these days, I'm guessing that social capital is a powerful tool in bringing people to at least pay attention. You said something about influence works if they're paying attention. Well who would you have a better chance of paying attention to? Someone who enters into the scene and just pushes and pushes their product onto you or perhaps someone who has been in the trenches, understands who YOU are (not specifically speaking, but your personality and demographics) and has spent time listening and slowly engaging in your community?

It's like I said earlier in the post. I would "trust" a marketer who walks the walk AND talks the talk.

But what I think Tara is getting at here is just that. It's about building trust and driving significant interest to a marketer and his/her product. By understanding where your customers are coming from and showing that you care, that respect is basically influence. That respect is whuffie. Not someone shouting to you through a commercial or anything that you don't pay attention to.

By: gravity7

gravity7 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:15:45 +0000

Well the interesting thing about social capital, if considered as a power to influence, is that the power belongs to audience. The moment the audience loses faith, interest, in the influencer, that influence evaporates. For brands it's a shift in the balance of power. Not the brand, but the audience, decides what's credible, desireable, etc… Is it better than money? Dunno — money can be spent at will, and has the same value every time it's spent. Whuffie or social capital is spent only when the audience is paying attention, and it doesnt have the same value all the time (over use it and you just may lose it!)…

By: Ken Yeung

Ken Yeung — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:24:32 +0000

@gravity7 – thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it. I think you're on to something when you said that influence depends on an audience for its value and spendability and also that it only increases when the community/audience takes part – otherwise who are you trying to influence. If you're not engaging with them, then what are you doing? You're just participating still in that shouting match with the rest of the marketers and brands who want to be heard in the social sphere. Having whuffie is probably better than having money because who really has more influence? The one with money to dish out to buy votes or customers? Or does the person who has more “street cred” that everyone loves and trusts get more engagement because they're honest and tell customers exactly what they want to hear truthfully?