Robin Neifield on Social Media Clutter

Link to June 4 ClickZ post, "Social Media Clutter: Will Consumers Tune Out?

Excerpt: In the bigger-is-better mentality, we lose sight of the fact that the marginal value of more friends might actually be negative. Having more friends creates more noise and more management load and might in some cases actually reduce the value of your network and create a disincentive to participate. Again, everyone's threshold is different. Just as some in the real world run with crowds of dozens, hundreds, or more and others cling to a few close buddies, in the online equivalent legitimate differences certain apply. The right network will vary with the nature of the exchange and therein lies the problem. It is not always easy to maintain both close and extended networks simultaneously. When you need expert advice in a niche area or you want feedback and exchange from those with similar tastes or experience, a small subset of your network might be a better fit then your whole network. However, the tools to allow for that flexibility are still crude. One size definitely does not fit all. And it's becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to manage these varying social media needs.

Marketers now also face their own clutter in social media.

Confession:  Retiring Guy hides the clutter of game posts on his Facebook account.