Don't be a control freak

At his blog "How to change the world", tech evangelist Guy Kawasaki has an interview with the authors of a new book - Citizen Marketers: When People are the Message

He's not talking about politics, but we could all learn a few things from the guy who sold the Macintosh to the world.

Question: Why do citizen marketers proselytize the companies that they love?

Answer: Some people innately like to help. They want others to know about a brand, product or company and share what they’ve experienced. For others, it’s about status. They like being an expert about a brand or company and therefore demonstrate their knowledge by talking about what they know. Finally, others just like to connect with others who are as crazy about a brand or company as they are.

Question: Is there a way to identify citizen marketers before they become citizen marketers?

Answer: On a regular basis, companies should be asking customers, “Do you recommend us?” That helps quantify evangelism. Those conversations should also include discovering how many customers have their own blog, podcast, or community site. The heavy users of social media are the most likely to create content, and the top 1 percentile of evangelists is the most likely to become citizen marketers.