Meet Rachel Botsman – a recognized thought leader who I recently had the pleasure of learning about through NPR’s TED Radio Hour. If you have 9 minutes I highly recommend the NPR interview in which Botsman discusses how trusting in strangers can actually fuel an economy.
At first it sounds like a crazy concept – the Trust Economy – but think about how often you turn to online reviews to guide your decisions about where to eat, which books to read, or what hotel offers the comfiest beds. And how often do you actually know the reviewer? Yet we trust these people to help guide our purchasing decisions.
Botsman’s talk focuses mostly on personal reputation, but for those who manage social media platforms on behalf of a brand, I’d urge you to think about how that personalized take on reputation translates to a brand’s image. Is the person or team managing your platforms making personal connections with your fans and followers? Are they attentive, courteous, reliable and honest with your customers? The same values that Botsman suggests are key to an individual’s reputation translate to the brand as well – and Botsman notes that reputation is a powerful currency.
