????匿名社交網絡正在快速發展：Whisper每月網頁瀏覽量達25億次，而Secret則高達35億；Snapchat的用戶也達到了2,600萬。有人把匿名社交網絡戲稱為網絡懺悔室，也有人認為它只不過是一股場千禧年的時尚風潮，而絕大部分人把匿名社交網絡看成發表某些不當言論的工具。匿名社交網絡現在的情況可能確實如此，但是針對它的非議在未來一定會煙消云散。更為重要的是，企業要想盡快利用這種活躍的新銳模式，還需要了解更多背景知識。和傳統社交網絡當年起步時的狀況一樣，匿名社交網絡現在也正處于萌芽期，但是Whisper這類應用的發展潛力非常巨大，因為匿名用戶的言論背后也會存在或多或少的合理性。企業對這種能夠給予用戶安全感的平臺有強烈的需求，借助這個平臺，企業就能夠了解用戶的反饋，從而將這些用戶意見付諸實施。但是在做這些之前，讓我們先來看看匿名社交網絡興起的原因。

????去年六月份，《衛報》和《華盛頓郵報》上登出愛德華?斯諾登泄露的文件。隨著美國國家安全局（the National Security Agency）和其它政府監測項目丑聞的不斷披露，人們在分享私人信息時越來越慎重。輿論對信息安全的爭論陷入白熱化，匿名社交網絡卻搭建了安全的平臺，讓人們安心分享信息。借助匿名社交網絡，用戶的信息不但更加私人化，而且他們發出的信息也無法再反向鏈接到本人。用戶在鍵盤上敲出文字，發布到網上，沒有人可以找他們。匿名社交媒體創造了一個完美的平臺，為客戶提供了安全共享信息的環境。

????Snapchat出現以前，圖片和視頻的分享局限于網絡站點、網絡服務和應用程序。這些渠道鼓勵用戶持續不斷地共享信息。人們創建一個路徑，與另外的網絡相連，其他用戶僅需要簡單的注冊就可以點開他們想看的內容。網站通常會把用戶信息轉手賣給商業機構，用于定向的廣告投放。有些用戶因為害怕產生網絡遺留內容，或者害怕讓陌生人看到自己的私人信息，因而不愿冒險留下路徑，匿名社交網絡是他們的終極社交媒介解決方案。另外，對七杯茶（7 Cups of Tea）等提供匿名治療的網站來說，匿名上網是它們持續發展的完美方式。

????除匿名社交網絡之外，難道還有別的平臺可以讓用戶以誠相待、同時在不被人私下竊取個人信息的情況下暢所欲言嗎？網絡上自白式的言詞并非完全可信，但是從商業角度來看，卻是有待開發的資產。Secret聯合創始人兼CEO大衛?布托就“誠實”舉了一個極好的例子，他說：“有人會在Facebook上宣告剛剛訂婚的喜訊，但是他們卻不會發‘今天晚上我準備求婚’這樣的話。”人類是社會性動物，需要分享（這也是Facebook、 Instagram等崛起的原因），但并不是所有事都能拿出來說。在Facebook、 Twitter和Instagram的發展初期，沒有人理解社交網站背后的意義，而且幾乎沒有人相信這些公司除了讓網民自我表達和自我陶醉之外還能有其它什么用途。時至今日，一切都清楚了，Facebook公司價值連城——堪稱背投廣告的領導者，2013年進賬了27.5億美元。據社交圖片分享網站提供給《廣告周刊》（ Adweek）的數據顯示，剛成立六個月、只擁有15個精選品牌的Instagram廣告公司也已經展露出巨大的發展前景。

????用戶和企業都不清楚如何利用匿名社交網絡，但根據Facebook和Twitter的發展經驗判斷，匿名社交媒體的使用很快會爆發，各家公司必須時刻做好準備，迅速行動，用于市場營銷活動。

????在過去十年里，社會化、移動化和云技術的集合式發展培養了一批消息靈通的客戶，在與某企業接洽之前，客戶大體上做到了了然于心，他們的購買方式也相應地產生了巨大變化。客戶再也不是被動的觀察者了——他們變成了活躍的參與者。在通過社交媒介和在線評論網站購買商品之前，他們早已將商品研究了一番。

????然而，部分客戶仍然對他們的信息去往何處以及如何被使用心存芥蒂。匿名社交網絡為他們提供了保護——為客戶主動提供的信息構建了防御體系，使其免遭商業利用或監視；商業機構只能通過傾聽和處理反饋信息的方式，認真對待匿名社交網絡。

????從市場營銷的層面，匿名社交網絡也有利用價值——只需思考下企業能夠發起的所有話題，以及能從中捕捉的商業信息就能說明這一點。一方面，企業可以注冊一個帳號，用來收集人們的聲音。人們對某一品牌頗有微詞還是非常欣賞？產品的某一部分是否需要改良？客戶服務是否需要繼續改進？

????有時候，這些話是誰說的并不重要，重要的是這些話是否真實。另一方面，商業機構也可以主動發起討論。譬如某零售商想知道客戶對本季新推出的熱辣顏色感覺如何。那么他們要做的就是發起這個話題，然后看看人們如何回應。盡管這種市場調研方法潛力巨大，但是調研結果仍然算不上精確。

????這也是為何在通過匿名社交網絡調研的同時，商業機構仍然要和他們的客戶直接溝通，以便顧客們之間可以互相交流看法。商業機構也可以借助其它公司進行調研，這些公司利用透視社區，即保密的線上環境，在使客戶確信其資料不會被濫用或出賣的基礎上，得到所需的信息。

????本文作者安德魯?里德是Vision Critical的創始人、總裁兼首席產品官。Vision Critical是一家云端客戶智能平臺提供商，總部位于溫哥華。（財富中文網）

????譯者：Joseph

????It’s clear anonymous social networks are growing quickly: Whisper has drawn 2.5 billion page views a month, while Secret has 3.5 billion page views; Snapchat has attracted 26 million users. Some call them online confessionals, others believe they’re merely a millennial fad, and most just see them as vehicles for inappropriate commentary. While that may be the case now, the noise will eventually die down. And more importantly, there is a larger lesson to be learned for companies looking to soon capitalize on this new and active audience. Like traditional social networks once were, anonymous ones are in their infancy, and the potential for services like Whisper is huge because there is legitimacy behind what people are saying.

????There’s a strong need for enterprises to be able to capture public input in a place where customers feel safe in order to turn that feedback into action. But, before that can be done, let’s look at why anonymous social networks are taking off.

????This month marks the one-year anniversary when documents leaked by Edward Snowden began popping up in the Guardian and the Washington Post. Following the scandal and stories surrounding the National Security Agency and other government surveillance programs, customers are more reluctant than before to share private information. While the debate rages on, anonymous social networks make it easy for online users to feel safer about sharing their opinion. Not only will their information be private, but the information shared will never link back to them. There is no one to hold a user accountable for what comes out of their keyboard, creating the perfect platform for a safe sharing environment.

????Before Snapchat came along, sharing photos and videos was limited to sites, services, and applications that encouraged ongoing information sharing. People created a trail, and that trail was linkable to other networks for an easy registration option. More often than not, that information was then sold to businesses for target advertising. For users that don’t want to risk leaving a trail for fear of creating an online legacy, or allowing strangers into their personal information, anonymous social networks are the ultimate social media solution. Furthermore, staying anonymous online is the perfect recipe for sites like 7 Cups of Tea that offer anonymous therapy.

????If not for anonymous social networks, where else can users be truly honest and yet heard without being somehow profiled? There is some truth to the online confessional claim, but from a business perspective, it’s an asset not yet capitalized on. A perfect example of honesty, as Secret co-founder and CEO David Byttow put it, is “People go on Facebook and say they just got engaged. But what you don’t see is ‘I am going to propose today.’” As humans, we’re social animals and we want to share (hence the rise of Facebook, Instagram and so on), but sometimes we just can’t.

????When Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram first launched, few understood the purpose behind the social sharing sites and hardly anyone believed that they were more than a place for self-expression and narcissism. But it’s much clearer today that Facebook is valuable—it’s a leader in display advertising, raking in $2.75 billion in 2013. Instagram ads, just six months old and limited to a select group of 15 brands, are already showing promising results, according to data given to Adweek by the social photo-sharing site.

????People and companies alike aren’t sure just what to do yet with anonymous social networks, but as Facebook FB 4.60% , Twitter TWTR 2.61% and the like history shows, their usage will soon explode and companies will have to be in the wings, quick to leverage for marketing efforts.

????Over the last decade, the convergence of social, mobile, and cloud technologies has resulted in extremely informed customers. Before ever engaging with a company, customers know almost everything they need to, leading to massive changes in the way they buy. Customers are no longer passive observers–they’ve become active participants, educating themselves about products prior to making a purchase via social media and online review sites.

????Still, there are many customers who fear where their information is going and how it’s being used. Anonymous social networks provide protection–a shelter for unsolicited information that won’t be used for advertising or surveillance; businesses have to start taking anonymous social networks seriously by listening and acting on the feedback.

????There’s also an opportunity to capitalize on these networks from a marketing perspective—just think of all the conversations a business can start and information it can capture. On the one hand, businesses can create accounts and tune into what people are saying. Are they complaining about a brand, or are they happy with it? Do parts of a product need changing? Does customer service need improvement?

????Sometimes it doesn’t matter just who is saying these things, it only matters if it’s honest. On the other hand, businesses can also create discussion. Perhaps a retailer wants to know what customers think about a hot new color this season. All they have to do is begin conversation and see people react. While there is big potential in this type of approach, ambiguity remains.

????That’s why at the same time, businesses should begin working with their customers directly, enabling them to share amongst themselves and with a company via an insight community, a secure online environment where customers feel comfortable that their information isn’t misused, sold elsewhere, or exploited.

????Andrew Reid is the founder, president, and chief product officer of Vision Critical, a cloud-based customer-intelligence platform provider that is based in Vancouver.