how social networks work: overview of network properties

How Social Networks Work

Dr. Pamela RutledgeDirectorMedia Psychology Research CenterEmail: prutledge@mprcenter.org

A Knowledge Society

Make It Simple with a System

• Systems have rules about how information travels

• Understanding is essential to supporting your social media goals

Fundamental PropertiesIt’s the Relationships that MatterIt’s the Relationships that Matter

Collective BehaviorsCollective BehaviorsFundamental Properties

emergeemerge

Fundamental PropertiesComplex systems are self-

organizingComplex systems are self-

organizing

Fundamental PropertiesNetworks are dynamicNetworks are dynamic

Fundamental PropertiesDramatic change at

thresholdsDramatic change at

thresholds

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you

think about social networks?

What is a network?

•A set of relationships (links) that connect people or objects (nodes)

Node

Link

$

Will the Nodes Be Connected?

The Small World Phenomenon

Wow! What a Small World!

Wow! What a Small World!

I can’t believe you know my

Aunt Betsy in Des Moines!

I can’t believe you know my

Aunt Betsy in Des Moines!

The Small World Studies

Who Do You Know…

Omaha

Boston

Who Do You Know Who Knows…

Omaha

Boston

What a Small World!

Omaha

Boston

Six Degrees of Separation• People are more likely to

be connected if they have common attributes

• Because of overlapping connections, the number of steps separating any two people in the world is six

2 3 4

51

6

2 3

1

First Order ZoneKevin Bacon and Colin Firth were both in the movie: Where the Truth Lies,1995

First Order ZoneKevin Bacon and Colin Firth were both in the movie: Where the Truth Lies,1995

Knowing and Connecting

A Networked World

Your Social Group: Fully Connected Network

The Real World: Network of networks

How Information Spreads

Weak Tie Weak Tie

Weak Connector

Why LinkedIn Works

Weak Tie Weak Tie

Weak Connector

Thresholds and Tipping Points

Number of links

Tipping Point

Saturation

Finding Your Audience

• Growth in a network does not follow the familiar Bell curve

• The Bell Curve measures random events

Power Law Distributions

• 80/20 Rule• The Pareto

principle • The law of

the few Num

ber

of L

inks

Number of Web Pages

Preference Premium

Super NodeSuper Node

• Choice creates the Super Nodes

• Tendency toward agreement

Information Facilitators or Power Law Beneficiaries?

Salesmen

Mavens or Enthusiasts

Connectors

New Rules for CommunicationOld Model: One-to-Many New Model: Many-to-Many

Access is Easy, Strategy is Hard

Potential Audience

Your Organization

In a Nutshell• Accelerated

communication• Continual evolution• Unique properties for

change• Identifiable emergent

behaviors• Weak connectors bridge

networks• Super Nodes emerge as

networks exhibit preferences

Try This• Identify your personal network• Characterize the types of

connections, the demographics

• Where do your most frequent connections happen?

?

? ?

?

Dr. Pamela RutledgeEmail: prutledge@mprcenter.org

Thanks for

listening!