Marketing 0

Facilitating Interpersonal Connection
As humans, we are born vulnerable and dependent on our parents
and caretakers to fulfill our basic needs. Gradually during childhood,
we learn to communicate and interact with those around us as a
primary method of intellectual and emotional learning. When
interacting, we exchange ideas and stories as well as mirror our
expressions and emotions with our counterparts. That is why human
brains are wired to be social very early in our lives.
Our nature as social beings explains the success of social media as a
technological application. We like to listen to other people's personal
experiences and express our own. As an exchange of visual cues,
social media create an alternative platform to fulfill our social needs
beyond face-to-face conversations.
Other applications of technology in business should also leverage the
human desire for a social connection. Technology may facilitate the
sharing of experiences and information, for instance, through blogs,
forums, and wikis. Conversations should be expanded, not only
between companies and customers but also between customers
themselves. The crowdsourcing model is an example of how
technology connects people with different competencies and skills to
collaborate. Furthermore, technology-powered social commerce
facilitates trade between buyers and sellers in a digital marketplace.