The "Trusted Reference" Model for Social Commerce

The “Trusted Reference” Modelfor Social Commerce

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How do I get the maximum marketingbenefit from my current customers?

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Focus on user-generated content,community, ratings & reviews

2007 2008 2009 2010

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i.e. Facilitating interactionsbetween strangers

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Personal advice

Online comments by users

Articles posted by magazine/newspaper

Reviews by website editors

Articles in printed newspaper/magazine

Online info posted by manufacturers

Advice from salesperson

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Influence of various sorts of information on purchas-ing

“Influence me very strongly”

Source: Rubicon Consulting

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“People I like”

“People like me”

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Which emails do you read?

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“The friend name”has magical power

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So how do you get “the friend name”into the buying process?

Hey friends, I just got a vertalizer, and it’s the

best thing ever!

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Oops…

Why are you bothering me

with that?

Not interested.

Not again!?!?

Spammer

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Shill.

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There is another way.

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Instead of trying to activate the recommender…

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…activate the buyer to reach outand get the recommendation

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Recommendations that were requested are:

Trusted&

Welcome

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To activate the buyer:

Tell them,at the moment they are shopping,

which friends can help them

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Context is king

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“Trusted references” in context

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Good places to deliver “the friend name”(ie where purchase

intent can be inferred):

Merchant sitesComparison sites

Search sitesRelated content sites

Bad ones:

EmailSocial networks

Unrelated content sites

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Social-graph-powered applicationswill be major focus of attention

for ecommerce players

2007 2008 2009 2010

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Advice from friendsis better than

advice from strangers

Thank you!George Eberstadt

george@turnto.com