DISQUS

Rarely do clients ask for, or even know about the new sliced bread. They're interested, typically, when exposed -- but to your point, all clients, regardless, tend to be comfortable with the familiar. By the time something is familiar to them, it tends to be old hat in the tech community.

From what I can tell, the key to talking to the people who seek out new stuff is the same key to talking to any group -- go where they are. Sounds simple, but in the case of early adopters, that means constantly going new places, because development is perpetual. For now, it means if you want to reach those who are seeking new stuff, you have to find it in the same window of time that they do, and use it early, without all the usual deliberation and planning that typically, makes clients a lot more comfortable. Move fast, perpetual beta, try stuff that's simply not going to work, be prepared to take a few lumps. Hard sell to any client, but potentially a huge win for the client who's willing to go for the ride.

I think you've got a strong point here -- I tell my clients frequently that social networks are like restaurants in Manhattan -- there's an undetermined cycle of popularity and hipness -- but clearly a cycle, nonetheless. The only solution I can find for the situation is to (A) act quickly; (B) don't put all your eggs (money/time/effort) into a single basket; (C) be prepared to shift with a shifting user base; and (D) find your target before pulling the trigger. Which, if you think about it, is all pretty basic advice. Do I think people will continue to interact socially via the web? Of course. Where and how they do it, though, is destined for perpetual change. And to your point, there will always be an "in" crowd of early adopters who find and swear by the newest, tastiest eatery. And there will always be a portion of the population that eats at Cracker Barrel. As a marketer, it's first and foremost about who you're talking to -- if they're in Cracker Barrel, that's where you should be.