Mapping the Great Beyond: Identifying Meaningful Networks in

Conclusion: a networked future for Public Diplomacy
Why meaningful networks?
When considering networks, it is not enough that one exists or can
be identified, it must be meaningful. This means that meeting or having
contact with vast numbers of people does not represent a meaningful
network or networks. When Public Diplomacy organizations, or any
organization claiming to interact with networks, announces their
annual reach or audience size there is a risk they are using this data
as a proxy for understanding the available networks. While audience
size may give an idea of the potential size of a network, it gives little
if any indication whether the network is meaningful.
Creating meaningful understanding of networks provides the
ability to interact in a more effective way with those with whom
an organization chooses to interact. Anyone can create a list
of individuals and call it a network; ensuring that the network is
meaningful requires finding ways to analyze that network:
• Empower staff, through access to networks and the
tools to recognize those networks.
• Understand the networks with which you seek to
engage.
• Evaluate the impact of activities through the
behavior of participants or communities with which
an organization has interacted. We live in a world
of networks, physical and digital, so changes in
behavior will inevitably influence interactions
within a network.