Lurkers exist everywhere. Lurking is how we learn – by observation. Lurkers pre-date social media.

• Lurkers are the silent majority. Ignore them at your peril
• Lurkers existed with Radio, TV and Print Media.
• Lurkers is old media as much as Lurkers is new media. Fact!

I remember meeting a lurker one day, before blogging was born.

He said “I’ve put money in my budget for your software”. We’d never spoken or met before. I guess he technically stopped lurking at that moment. We met at a trade-show. He’d been following are adverts and our press coverage. Nothing unusual for the time.

You can’t quantify Lurkers. He wasn’t in my forecast.

If you are doing your job, you are creating value. You are building a pipeline, even if you can’t touch it. If you solve a problem, people will find you. Lurking with intent to buy.

Lurkers don’t need to connect prior to purchase. Lurkers value their privacy until, they value you more. Make yourself so valuable that the lurkers have to come into the open. Make them feel safe and be valuable. Love lurkers like a close friend! Let Lurkers inspire you.

I know I think of them constantly. I’m inspired to tease Lurkers into the open. Inspire them to declare their intent.

How about you? What’s your Lurker strategy? Or are you a Lurker? Can I tease you out into the open?

Photo Credit : Mrs Logic via Flickr and Creative Commons Licensing