People Change
On communities and other third places
Clo Willaerts, 12 Feb 2009, Brussels

Clo Willaerts?
Sanoma Magazines
Belgium
http://www.bnox.be
@bnox on Twitter
brusselsgirlgeekdinner.
be

The third place
1st place: the home
2nd place: the
workplace
3rd place: informal
meeting places

Hallmarks of a true \"third
place\"
free or inexpensive
food and drink, while not essential, are important
highly accessible: proximate for many (walking
distance)
involve regulars – those who habitually congregate
there; welcoming and comfortable; both new friends
and old should be found there.

1985: The Well
One of the oldest virtual communities in
continuous operation

Zappybaby.be
an online community
for young parents:
pregnancy -> 3yrs
old
mix of User
Generated and
editorial content

Content: the 1% rule
(but that’s ok)

Strong communities
Cohesion and interactivity

Communities don’t look like
this

They look like this.
Source: http://www.mattjmcd.com/2009/02/what-community-looks-like/

The baby conspiracy 1/2

The baby conspiracy 2/2

So what changed?

The internet is not a series
of tubes

It’s a decentralised
publishing model

Web 2.0: The egosphere

The echo chamber

Embedded publishing

Where do consumers
search for information
social media
websites
the real reason:
natural search
results
search engine bots
like social media!
better!

Humo blogs

Flair blogs

1999: Cluetrain Manifesto
• http://www.cluetrain.com/
• Markets are conversations and
the Internet is a facilitator of one
of the grandest, most global of
those conversations.
• “Their members communicate
in language that is natural,
open, honest, direct, funny and
often shocking. Whether
explaining or complaining,
joking or serious, the human
voice is unmistakably genuine.
It can't be faked.”

Find the online waterholes
Go where your consumers are

Hang out and listen
1. Humo page:
24,930 fans
2. Flair page:
11,274 fans

Humo “freedom” group

Twitter: BE
issues:
updates
following / followers
influence / authority
conversations
http://
twitterfacts.blogspot.com/
search/label/Belgium

Twitter

Thank you
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