Social Flooring Index Tribes - April 2011

CRI Blog Tribe

In my last post analyzing the April 2011 Social Flooring Blog Index, I asked the question How Networked Is The Social Flooring Blog Index - April 2011? In this post, I'd like to explore with you three flooring groupings - or tribes - that are forming and which are visible given the algorithm enhancements that eCairn has recently introduced to eCairn Conversation.

More specifically, Social Flooring Blog Index tribes are forming around:

• The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog, the most influential blog in the social flooring community.
• The Social Flooring Index
• BuildDirect

A point to reiterate: the overall flooring community is NOT strongly networked.  For an example of a community that is, read eCairn's blogpost titled: B is for Business, Blogs and Birds about bird bloggers.  What makes that community so cohesive is the level of connection, conversation and interaction - both virtual and physical - taking place. We aren't yet seeing that happen within flooring blogs.

The image above represents a closeup of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Blog cluster or tribe. I circled the CRI Blog to provide added perspective. Most blogs in the flooring industry refer to the CRI and its blog content, which is relevant to retailers, distributors, cleaners and others involved in soft surface flooring products.

This next image captures the Social Flooring Index tribe.

Social Flooring Index Tribe

The Social Flooring Index has medium influence.

Through the Social Flooring Index, I am not only monitoring the social state of the flooring industry, but I'm also looking to support and celebrate social media successes in the industry by focusing on individual companies.  In addition to listing those blogs included in the Social Flooring Index, I have written about several in individual blogposts.  As I mentioned in April 2011 Social Flooring Blog Index, I intend to start reviewing individual flooring blogs and invite you to submit yours...

This next image relates to BuildDirect and the community is is building around its blogs.

BuildDirect Tribe

BuildDirect is one of the very first flooring companies I wrote about in December 2009 on the Social Flooring Index. BuildDirect has embraced social media in a big way - including video - and continues to delight and surprise with its outreach and genuine celebration of flooring, design, sustainability, sourcing, etc. Community manager, Rob Jones, puts a great deal of effort into nurturing the relationships he is developing with the building materials market. He can teach you a lot!

Based on what you've noticed with these Social Flooring Index tribes, what might you start doing differently with your blog?

Next: a geographic perspective on the April 2011 Social Flooring Blog Index.

Thanks,

C.B.