Every time I think I know the answers, life has this bad habit of changing the questions. True to form, just as I was beginning to relish the little understanding I had of social media and how to create killer content that engage the search engines and through them reach out to a target audience of fans and followers, they have unveiled a plethora of new platforms.
As if facebook and linked in were not enough. As if Google plus and Instagram pictures and videos in you tube were inadequate. More user and function specific networks are emerging that need to be studied, understood and used to hitch a ride on the social media juggernaut. It means more time and more involvement. Boy, am I loving it!
The best thing about these emerging mediums is that they are all refinements of existing offerings. Refinements that are aimed at providing just that much extra to ensure that a specific need is addressed and are so simple in the thought that have brought them around that you think, “Jeez, why hadn’t I thought of it before in amazement?”
Take Pheed for example. Paris Hilton is already on board this platform that allows one to get paid from pictures and videos and other stuff we were posting all this while on facebook and instangarm for free! When Pheeds meet Pheeders can pheedom be phar behind?
And then there is Chirp. Your phone blares a robotic cry and the phones within the set viscinity pick up the signal to instantly download what you have uploaded. No need to even paid devices a-la Bluetooth, or keying in emails or even share it with other members of facebook or Instagram. Imagine an advertiser “chirping” in a public address system in a busy metro station for example with all the devices instantly being able to access the message that was uploaded! Are we ready for the tweet and chirp age?
I am also excited about Conversations that is a kind of an in-house facebook for corporates that allow the addictive ease of social media interaction with the seriousness of office work that it deserves. Colleagues can be invited to post on facebook like walls and collaborate on projects with key participants, roped in for maximum effect. Now is that ain’t kewl, what is?
Thumb which may sound a tad bit frivolous too is a great emerging network. You can pose any question here and instantaneously get thumbs up or down, which more or less tells the answer. From a pic of your latest artwork to the new tan brogues you buy, you can shoot upload and be flooded by the response from people who just love to peep into the lives of others and feel extremely important in being able to comment on such matters of earth shattering importance.
However, the one movement (and I choose the word deliberately) is Flayvr, which seems to be everything every smartphone owning, snapper happy person had ever wanted. It promises to organise your photos and videos in an aesthetically appealing manner bringing order to the chaos of your albums. I see huge potentials in moving forward and the idea behind is smug in its contentment, enigmatic like a pregnant panda. In the right hands, it has the potential of rewriting much of the history written by Instagram and it will be interesting to view the emerging developments.
2013 is going to be one big and eventful year for social media as many upstart startups with outrageous offerings will continue to hit us in the solar plexus. Watch this space.