There are lots of reasons why advice from friends is so much more influential than advice from strangers.  Trust is a big one.  The Wall Street Journal today has a piece about the growing sway marketers have over product recommendations online.  “Paid to Pitch: Product Reviews by Bloggers Draw Scrutiny.”  I was particularly struck by the marketer who requires bloggers he hires to use a seal that says “Sponsored Post.  100% Real Opinion.”  It’s so murky.  Even if the overwhelming majority of amateur reviewers have no commercial interest (or hope of one in the future), the fact that some do undermines trust in the rest.  There is always something comforting about knowing that the person you’re getting advice from is putting you first.

We’re looking forward to the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTEN) this Sunday - Tuesday in San Francisco.  If you’re there, please come by and see us in Booth #42.

And on that topic: here’s a link to a press release Earthwatch just put out on their expanding use of TurnTo to increase volunteer recruitment though their website.  We’re thrilled, since Earthwatch provided the inspiration that led to TurnTo.

Catching up on my reading.  Sorry, this’ll be old news to those who stay current.  Eric Clemons, a professor at Wharton, wrote a piece on TechCrunch a month ago titled “Why Advertising Is Failing on the Internet.”  It stirred up some controversy — 753 comments on TC as of now.  The core of his point is that consumers don’t trust or want advertising, and on the internet there are alternative, more trusted and welcome ways for consumers to get info.

What I just want to point out here is his commentary about what WILL work.  Along with a few other ideas, he writes:

“Social search. Social search is a way of tailoring search based on the user’s network of friends.  Rather than searching for any hotel in Chicago, or for any hotel that paid for the keywords “hotel” and “Chicago” I would like to be able to ask for the hotel where my friends stay when they are in Chicago.  This invades no one’s privacy, avoids the annoyance of pushing ads at me when I am not searching for something to buy, and provides more relevant results than paid search usually can deliver.”

We agree.