Learning from BitTorrent

I was talking to our COO yesterday and we begin to talk about BitTorrent. Yes, we are just that interesting, given a free moment, we start talking about stuff like that. Perhaps you don't know what BitTorrent is. Well, first let's set aside the fact that it's often used to trade files that are in violation of copyright laws.

Now that we have that out of the way; BitTorrent is a system for sharing files over the Internet. What's unique about BitTorrent is how files are shared from user to user, what is called peer-to-peer sharing. When you download a Torrent file you are really downloading a rather small file that has some code to help identify where the file you are looking for might be. The BitTorrent software uses that file to start downloading the actual file you have requested. It looks for different computers that are currently online and that are "seeding" or sharing the file. So, when you are downloading a Torrent file you are really downloading parts of the file from many people.

For example, if I were the kind of person who would download an illegal episode of the Simpsons, I may be downloading that episode from dozens of other people who are also huge fans of the show. In other words, by its very nature, this system connects people of similar interests. It's difficult to grasp the power of a group of people with the same passion, coming together to make something happen.

The marketer can learn 2 things from the way this technology has flourished:

1. People are naturally drawn to people like themselves.
2. Certain users (according to most studies 1%) are highly motivated to share content related to their passion.

If we can understand that truth and tap into it’s power then we can have a huge impact on brands and on the bottom line.