Courtship Of The Brand Crazy

Ben McConnell at Church of the Customer looks at the so-called 1% rule for social media sites.

It would appear that small groups of people often turn out to be the principal value creators of a democratized community. Over time, their work fuels widespread interaction that engages the non-participating community and attracts new ones. If continually nurtured, the community can become a self-sustaining generator of content and value.

I think we need to pay attention to the “if continually nurtured” part. Given how important the 1% of brand zealots are to the overall community, the question for marketers is how to best cultivate a long term relationship with these volunteer advocates.
Let them write the brand’s blog. There’s one idea. More are needed.