When Your Customers Are Caucusing You Need to Listen

Just about one year ago (January 3, 2008) I posted my blog entry … “Are Your Customers Caucusing?”

As I mentioned in that short blog I grew up in Iowa which is generally considered a pretty low key State. However, that week Iowa received worldwide focus because the first step in the United States Presidential nomination process began there. As you may remember Senator Barack Obama was the Democratic winner. You may also remember the beginning of his Iowa speech ...

"Thank you, Iowa. You know, they said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided; too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night - at this defining moment in history - you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do."

The Iowa caucus is generally defined as a "gathering of neighbors," as many Iowans circle up in local schools, churches and public libraries to publically stand up for their presidential preference. Neighbors gathering to discuss who should be in - and who should be out. Does that sound a little like a social network in action? Believe it, those caucuses were followed closely by the rest of the nation and were an important factor in determining who remained in the race. Iowa represents only 1% of the U.S. population. Gee, how influential can 1% be? Well, my guess is that President Obama will always have a warm spot in this heart for Iowa. It's something to think about as you implement your 2009 social networking strategy - because small social numbers often carry more weight than you think.