In the next installment of discussions exploring the state and future of social media, Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo (@26dottwo) and I review how relationships online are evolving from social networks to social “nicheworks” or contextual networks.

In social media, how we connect with one another reflects our interests as well as our contacts. We’re adapting our definition of relationships to now also include a new, thinner layer of “relations” in order to refine our online experience as well as how we learn, discover, and share. In doing so, we create a social silhouette that outlines our interests, concerns, views, and potential,which ultimately is reflected in how we architect and cultivate our social graph. Over time we transform social graphs into interest graphs. For those brands, organizations, and individuals looking to associate with relevant groups, having one recipe or formula is no longer effective to suit the tastes of these disparate, yet influential nicheworks.

If businesses or anyone for that matter have any hope of earning prominence within these important communities, relevance and engagement become paramount. The art and science of all we do from here on out will determine our stature within each network and more importantly, the resonance and endurance of what we introduce into social streams.

Information knows no boundaries, but attention and relevance become the barriers to pervasiveness. How will you revise your engagement and content strategies to stimulate resonance?

#R.R.S.

This series was filmed at the new video studio at KickLabs SF where I spend time as an entrepreneur in residence.

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Please consider reading, Engage!: It will help you find answers to your questions…

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