Shannon Paul wrote a really clever post the other day about Cultural Immersion for the Social Media tourist. She’s hitting on something that’s been nagging at me.  We keep saying that listening is the first step to participating in social media. But companies who are seeking to better understand social media (and it’s application for their business) don’t just need to be listening from the outside in.

They first need to be watching, paying attention to the culture of the web, and observing how people are adapting to it. Only then can they truly understand how to participate authentically and belong.

Anthropologists have some very complex ways of evaluating and mapping how cultures evolve. They call it “value change”, and they have some big $10 words to describe it (like culturalization, individualization, secularization, democratization….lots of “t-i-o-n”s that fill up very thick and expensive textbooks).

And social media *is* about changing values. It’s not just a technical revolution, it’s a cultural one. We’re redefining the way we interact with each other via these tools and technologies, and I believe we’re undergoing a bit of value change ourselves. My words are different and more simple.

Individuality
The social web gives people the freedom and comfort to be who they are. It empowers them to explore their unique tastes, personalities, interests. And it gives each person the opportunity and encouragement to express that individuality.

As a business, you ought to be watching how people – especially your customers – are expressing themselves outside the context of being your customers. They’re multi-dimensional people, and seeing them as such can help you understand what kinds of communication make them comfortable, and what kinds of relationships they’re seeking to establish.

Belonging
Back before the internet transformed our lives, we had to work very hard to find people with mutual interests. It was somewhat chance that we would meet someone at a social gathering or through school or a job that shared interests similar to ours, and keeping up that relationship via in-person interaction was often complicated by time, distance, or a combination of the two.

Today, a Google search solves all of that, and social media is constantly opening avenues to finding like-minded people. Personally, I now have friends, colleagues, and cohorts around the globe instead of just around the neighborhood.

Your customers want to belong to something. How can you create that something? Think bigger than just your product or service. Let the “thing” you offer follow instead of lead the discussion. See where people are joining and congregating in ways that are completely unrelated to you, and build the bridge to them.

Independence
Anthropologists talk about secularization, or a cultures’ move away from religious leadership to a more community-based value system. That hurts my brain, but the translation to me for social media is that corporations no longer rule our world.

The mainstream media is no longer our definitive, authoritative source for news (though it’s still *a* source). We’re less inclined to admire big companies with high fences and we’re mistrustful what goes on within the walls. Big box isn’t as cool; we want boutique. Niche. Different.

A company like Apple has done a phenomenal job of creating mass demand for something that feels independent and cool. As a business, are you talking down from some mythical ivory tower, or are you treating yourself as one of the crowd? Are you observing how your customers and prospects are interacting with companies besides your own, and how are they expressing their expectations for that relationship?

Voice
The web is democratizing everything. We vote – literally or figuratively – with our voices, our emails, or a click of our mouse. Our individual voices are more amplified than ever before, thanks to blogs and Twitter, review sites, and user generated content. And our collective voices can sway politics, unmask dishonesty, or even help save a life .

Customers of businesses want to have a vote. They vote with their wallets, their recommendations and referrals, their long-term loyalty. Can you let go enough to give the communities in which you participate a voice in your world? Are you humble enough to observe how your customers, employees, critics and competitors can make you better? What are they asking for, and how can you deliver?

Value change is organic and inexact. But you cannot ignore if you hope to evolve your business, because the communities themselves are evolving along side you.  Are you carefully and patiently looking around you – outside your myopic business lens – to see what’s happening, and how people are interacting today? What are you learning? And what are you doing about it?

Photo credit: .:GEC:.