Stop, you're doing it wrong.

So the previous post got me thinking… If haven’t read it yet, go do it now. Seriously. It will make a lot more sense. I’ll wait…

…

…..

Ready? Okay! (was that too cheerleader-ish?)

And we begin…

I feel like companies are completely missing the boat. They have the web all wrong. As Paul points out:

• it’s not a book
• it’s not a newspaper
• it’s not a magazine
• it’s not a radio
• it’s not a portal
• it’s not another mass market device

Because it’s not about consumption.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. The web can do all of the above, but the true advantage of the internet is that it’s personal. You can give the corner store feeling - that personal relationship - to millions of customers at the same time. You just have to do it right.

People want to know that they matter. Just like you matter. Your opinions matter.

The elements that drive the best engagement allow customers to express their own opinions:

• Rdio is a radio app, but it takes the next step by allowing people to share their personal flavors of music. Comment on it. Add it to your collection. Everyone will know thatyou like it, and your opinion will be counted.

• Amazon’s Kindle is just a book, but a simple tweak - social highlighting - enables people to express their opinion about the importance of any particular section of that book. To be heard. To contribute our their voice to the cacophony of global voices that would otherwise yell - “Why wasn’t I consulted?!”

The web (internet, series of tubes, whatever…) gives us an opportunity to finally make business local again. Targeted, focused. You can know and care about what matters to them and how they feel about it. Turning your customers into your own advocates by involving them in your process.

It’s no longer about casting a wide net - we need to shoot laser beams, and then allow our customers to determine what kind of laser beams we shoot next.

That’s enough from me: What do you think? How are you involving people? It’s time for you to be consulted.

Comment below, or hit me up on Twitter: @kevinmcmurphy