A visitor arrives with a social context.
Someone may reach your business through a colleague, a community, an event, or a professional network. They bring expectations from that relationship. A generic message can lose the context that made the introduction relevant.
My starting point is to understand that route. What did the customer hear? What are they trying to achieve? Who else will take part in the decision? These are business questions with a social dimension.
What the research examined.
In randomized LinkedIn experiments, Rajkumar and colleagues examined how recommended connections affected job mobility. The effects of tie strength varied with its measurement and with industry; weaker connections were useful within particular conditions. Read the 2022 Science study ↗
The study concerns employment networks. Applying its lessons to customer relationships is an inference to test, rather than a claim that a referral feature will produce a particular sales result.
How I apply the question to a business.
Map the sources of introductions and the context each source brings. Make it easy for a customer to explain why they reached out. Carry relevant context into the brief so the person following up can continue the conversation.
For a masterclass, the meaningful connection might be a venue, a host, and a shared interest. For a business service, it might be a trusted colleague introducing a specific problem. The experience should support the relationship that is actually there.
Measure continuity, not just contact volume.
Review the relevance of introductions, whether the customer’s purpose survives the handoff, and whether follow up happens. Record information with an appropriate purpose and permission.
A business relationship needs useful exchanges over time. A digital experience can help the team remember the context, keep responsibilities clear, and make the next interaction more considered.
SOURCES & CONTEXT
Randomized field experiments. Social networks and job mobility; application to customer journeys is a design inference.