The network effect:

There are a couple of great posts, here and here, on the excellent Modern Marketing blog about the Network Effect and why just 500 or so active participants within social media can be so significant, and important to growing brands.

It suggests, (quite rightly in my view),  that some brands often look at small numbers of social networkers as 'insignificant', (because presumably of the traditional mass-market, mass-media mindset,) and indeed overlook the influence a small number of users at the core can bring to bear.

It's fascinating stuff, and something of a wake-up call to all those still clinging to an Advertising 1.0 mentality.

It reminded me too of the expression, 'Famous for 15 people'.

A reworking of the old Andy Warhol; Famous for 15 minutes quote, it suggests that if you get to the right 15 people things can happen.

What also popped into my head from this post last year with the tremendous quote from a discussion on 37 signals:

“Underdogs have always had a voice. We’re just giving ‘em bigger speakers.”