Pew analyst explains how a recent report helps marketers understand social networks and adjust messaging for ads at these sites.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently released a report, "The Strength of Internet Ties," about how the internet improves Americans' ability to sustain their social networks and the benefits when they solicit help from those networks.

Comprised of two surveys, the report found that email and the internet expand and strengthen the social ties that people maintain in the offline world. People not only socialize online, according to the surveys, but they also incorporate the internet to seek assistance from their network to help make decisions.

The report found that the internet fits seamlessly with Americans' in-person and telephone encounters, disputing concerns that heavy use of the internet may weaken social relations. People are able to maintain active contact with extensive social networks, even though many of the people in those networks are not nearby. 

Pew Internet & American Life Project Director Lee Rainie provided answers to questions posed by iMedia Connection's Nanette Pietroforte about the report and its impact for marketing and advertising online. 

Nanette Pietroforte: Marketers are sometimes hesitant to sponsor consumer-generated content because of its unpredictable nature. Does your study include any findings that might make them more comfortable tying ads to this content?

Lee Rainie: In one of our surveys, we focused on how people used the internet to make major decisions. One of the most important findings was that people use the internet to find other people who will give them support at stressful moments in their lives or they will use the internet to find experts to help them sort through their options. There probably are some risks for marketers in trying to tap into these unpredictable kinds of interactions and conversations. Nevertheless, our survey shows that this is the arena where important information exchanges occur. My sense is that smart marketers might be able to find a way to figure out how to connect with consumers in some of those exchanges, while at the same time sending the signal that the marketers aren't necessarily "endorsing" the information that is being exchanged.

Similar non-internet experiences already occur and don't seem to deter marketers. Their ads run next to horrific news stories in newspapers at times. Or their ads run in conjunction with controversial broadcast content. Somehow, rules and norms have developed to make marketers feel comfortable that their messages aren't fatally tainted by information they don't necessarily like.

Pietroforte: How can we translate the study data into general observations about consumers for marketers / advertisers?

Rainie: The internet is a place where very important social and commercial activity takes place. It's a different venue from other channels that marketers employ, so new tactics and sensibilities need to be adopted. But our work shows that the internet is embedded in everyday life for many users. Everyone I know is trying to figure out how they and their organizations can play a role in this larger information and communication environment. I am not one of the shamans who can create a 10-point plan for people that will magically help organizations succeed in this new audience. The smartest people I know have this advice: experiment a lot. Open yourself to feedback. And consider yourself part of a conversation with customers, rather than a persuasion.

Pietroforte: How do marketers need to tweak their messages or strategies of contacting their target audiences given the findings of the study?

Rainie: We found that the internet plays three important roles as people seek help when they face important decisions. First, the internet helps people connect to others who can offer them advice and support. Second, the internet yields information that allows people to compare their options. Third, the internet is seen as a source where people can find experts to help them work through all the information they find. If marketers find out how to tap into one of those three realms, they could prove helpful to customers.

Pietroforte: What kind of opportunities may exist for marketers and advertisers to become part of or utilize the rings of "core ties" and/or "significant ties" discussed in the study? And based on your findings about the use of email, what should marketers/advertisers keep in mind when developing strategies?

Rainie: Communications specialists have long known there is a two-step flow to information exchanges. Media alert people to things that might be interesting or important. And when people want to figure out the meaning of media messages, they often turn to trusted or reputable people to help them assess what they've just learned. In this world where people's social networks are increasingly dispersed and far-ranging, we know that people will turn to different "influencers" when they face different kinds of decisions. Our work doesn't really give us any special practical insights into how marketers can make sure their material is in the right "influencers" hands. This just reinforces the notion that influencers can be very important.

Pietroforte: Based on survey data, what insight should marketers keep in mind when reaching out to potential media multiplexers?

Rainie: The content of their messages matters more than the channel through which they are delivered.

Additional resources:
See the full report: The Strength of Internet Ties