The author of the blog you reference does a good job of this with the Jamaican sunsets. The rich descriptions allow the reader to dream of being there, and tantalize an appetite and desire to escape.

Going back to the MLM concept, the big turnoff was that it is too “in your face” style. “This is what you need, and here’s why.” Rather than creating framing a story to bring out the need.

This is the challenge of social marketing. Marketers actually have to be creative to create a story that engages people, rather than just saying, “Hey Jamaica is a great place to go, and if you want to go to Jamaica, click here for the cheapest and best rates.”

PPC advertising, natural search and comparison shopping engines are a different story, since people are already searching for the thing they want to buy. Here the in your face, click here, I have the best/cheapest/etc., was acceptable.

Dave… totally agree with you. To your point above, I have had friends/colleagues take their commission and split it with me (on something I purchased through them). I’ll see if he’ll show up here to discuss.

Right! MLM got its bad rep this way — that’s something that few take the time to actually point out so thanks for doing so.

Anyway, this is the challenge with the social sites. Finding a way to market to people so that they are unconscious of the fact they are being marketed too.

Hey it sounds great but in practice but ultimately that ignorance is dismantled by the truth. People find out and when people find out INDIRECTLY (via someone other than their friend who sold something to them) they begin to wonder about their friendship — their trust bond. It gets called into question and THAT opens the door to resentment and THAT is death to a friendship.

At some point I look at the entire American culture of “sell sell sell” and start thinking like Doc Searls…

“The Economist asks, Will Facebook, MySpace and other social-networking sites transform advertising? Good question, but it’s the wrong one. The right question is, Can we equip customers to become independent of sellers and their controlling intentions — Including the unwanted crap that constitutes far too much of the world’s advertising? For the good of both sellers and buyers?”

and

“Advertising is about supply finding and ‘creating’ demand. Nothing wrong with that. At its best it’s good and necessary stuff. But think about what will happen when demand can find and create supply. That’s the real holy grail here. And it’s one that will take fresh development effort on both the supply and demand sides.”

Who are you going to trust with a recommendation? You’re friend who you know is actively pushing and marketing stuff….or just a friend who’s not really involved in marketing/promotion or even actively pushing recommendations.

The whole pushing aspect from friends acquaintances is what turned people off of MLM, and if people start using the social sites to PUSH products on their friends, they’ll get turned off just as quickly.

Now, if I’m looking for a product, and actively searching recommendations, well going online and finding a review site, or a blog talking about how a product is used from a stranger, might actually carry a higher level of trust. I don’t see that stranger pushing/marketing everyday, like I would see with my friend. I’m unconscious to the idea that the stranger is earning a commission, or even actively promoting a product.

Anyway, this is the challenge with the social sites. Finding a way to market to people so that they are unconscious of the fact they are being marketed too. Putting up a profile, adding all your friends, and then shoving recommendations over to them will turn people off, just as MLM has done.