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Something CORE is changing pushed by social media and a altruism mentioned in books by Godin and Benkler, the commons revolution is happening. You In?
This post defines The Idea of the Commons and will be followed over the next few days with definitions for component parts including: The Ask, The Give and The Share.
The Internet Commons Defined
Before jumping into the Internet commons let’s share the Wikipedia definition of a traditional commons:
Traditional Commons
Refers to cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable earth. These resources are held in common, not owned privately. The resources held in common can include everything from natural resources and common land to software.
The commons contains public and private property, over which people have certain traditional rights. When commonly held property is transformed into private property this process alternatively is termed “enclosure” or more commonly, “privatization.” A person who has a right in, or over, common land jointly with another or others is called a commoner.
What is the web but one huge “common” where “rights” or “best practices” are becoming established almost as we write? “Established” is too strong a word since any guidelines will flex, breathe and change as fluttering memes, cultural ideas we understand, interact with, pass on and change.
Once your company, brand, product or service is online you are part of the Internet Commons.
Once online you’ve made a contribution. You may seek support (links, likes and shares). Presence says you and your website understand the give and take, support and share guidelines of the Idea of the Internet Commons. Try to game the commons, steal or betray and your website will be dealt with harshly. Even if your website simply talks or creates more than it listens your Internet marketing will not produce desired results. Ignorance of stated or unstated guidelines is no defense (sorry).
Unique Customer Aspirations (UCAs)I was trained to think about marketing in terms of Unique Value Propositions (UVPs) and Unique Selling Propositions (USPs). These ideas remain important, but, by themselves, are too solipsistic now. Internet marketing is NOT about talking to yourself about yourself.
Internet marketing in our post-social Connection Economy is form from conversational give and take. We need to add an organizing idea that speaks to our union with visitors, customers and advocates. We need to understand and include our customers’ Unique Customer Aspirations (UCAs). UCAs are how our marketing speaks to and supports our customer’s aspirations and resolves their pain points.
ScentTrail Marketing Unique Customer Aspirations(ScentTrail = my blog)Share relevant experiences to help visitors, members, readers and ScentTrail Marketing advocates understand Internet marketing better, become more efficient in their campaigns, make more money (or other forms of web currencies such as traffic, larger subscription lists and increased Google-Juice) and have fun as we learn together.. Create a community, a commons, where rising tides created from the increasing scale of the commons lifts all whose Internet marketing boats dock with us even for a short time.
Once you know your Unique Customer Aspirations (UCAs) creating building blocks such as websites, social profiles and campaigns is easier and guided by an “umbrella” idea, an archetype. When in doubt check a campaign or activity against your Unique Customer Aspirations. If the Internet marketing you contemplate contributes do it, if not don’t.
Unique Curator Goals (UCGs)Don’t forget to define your personal and company aspirations too. What are your Unique Curator Goals (UCGs). My Unique Curator Goals for ScentTrail Marketing are:
Learn from an assortment of friends, gurus and experts located around the world and be appreciative and generous to those working so hard to educate me and other Internet marketers.. Grow my thinking, empathy and vision in ever increasingly faster cycles since time is short and there is much to accomplish.
. Create a team of FOMs (Friends of Martins) who can be counted on to contribute to the commons and who will appreciate and support my contributions, as I do theirs.
read more: (ScentTrail = my blog)
Via Martin (Marty) Smith
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Everything is in the commons now.