The Law of the Few
When it comes to spreading social epidemics we must focus our resources on the first rule, The Law of the Few, which states that only a rare breed are capable of spreading these epidemics.
There is perhaps no better example of this than Paul Revere’s horseback ride. It’s not well known that there was a similar ride that day, by one William Dawes, to inform the pilgrims. But the towns that Dawes rode through didn’t rise to battle as the towns that Revere rode through.
The lesson here is that in trying to spread social epidemics, businesses must concentrate their efforts on the opinion leaders and early adopters. These are the people with vast contacts, comfortable in many different social circles, with a gift for bringing people together (Connectors). We must also focus on the ‘Mavens’, the people who love knowledge and love to share it. Finally, there are the ‘Salesmen’, the very persuasive people who are usually very effective with non-verbal cues and are able to convince the skeptical amongst us.
Paul Revere was all of these people wrapped into one. He had vast social connections and was widely respected for his knowledge, while Dawes was a relative nobody. When Revere spoke, people listened and that is why his ride was able to mobilize the resistance.
