Social Manifesto: What will change in the future

The Death of MySpace
The use of “macro” communities — like Facebook and MySpace — will decrease as adoption of semi-private “gated” communities grows. These smaller communities will allow:

• Deeper sharing
• More relevant conversations
• More personal experiences

Bridging Social and the Store
Mobile technologies will bring social media to physical experiences.

• Scanning any bar code with your cell phone will pull up consumer reviews
• Friends will broadly co-shop using tools as widely varied as wired dressing rooms and interactive mirrors attached to online stores

Polarized, Passionate People
Social media will make it easier and easier for us to self-select into groups filled with “people like us.” Savvy leaders will energize these “microsegments” and create powerful emotional connections.

“Main Street” Customer Service
Consumers will increasingly expect personal, relevant experiences with the brands they choose to do business with. The hallmarks of these experiences will be proactive problem solving and dedicated points of connect — across multiple media.

Comments

[Eamon]

Hi
I was particularly drawn to:

'Scanning any bar code with your cell phone will pull up consumer reviews'

- the potential is big here - for following types of products (spring to mind): technology / gadgets, fashion, food, wine, books - oh, most things.

[Morgan]

Leigh,

You’re view on social media, and its ability to connect more “like-minded people” somewhat closes off what it is you have spent your personal time and energy doing. This blog is just one of many examples of people with different view points and backgrounds coming together to share experiences and opinions on similar topics. If the people that respond to your blog sat down together and conversed about subjects outside of advertising and related fields, who knows what sort of opinions would be generated. While we all share a common interest in the strategic communication realm of business that doesn’t mean we would all necessarily share similar views in other subjects.

Most importantly, this entry, to an extent, can be a prime example of why it is dangerous for people to surround themselves with only the people that share the views they do. While I don’t exactly agree with your perspective, it has made me review my own perspective on social media networks and opened my eyes to how others perceive them. So for that, thank you.

[Stephen Rothman]

Hey Leigh, just discovered your blog via MarketingVox. Great content, wonderfully succinct. Just subscribed.
The downside of self-selecting into "people like" us is that we will have fewer chances to hear the perspectives of "people like them" that challenge our belief systems.

[Jeff Bennett]

Leigh,

I agree fully. I manage a network of targeted social media properties across categories like astrology, photo, tech, crafts, gardening and they are thriving. There is much upside as we expand our audience and integrate ads/commerce in a beneficial way. Your manifesto is spot on. I featured it today on my own blog http://www.jeffbennett.org.

Jeff

[Michael Leis]

Right on it Leigh! Don't totally agree that the large social networks are going to go away any time soon. They serve a purpose, like AOL did in the 1990's.

But I think the space that will see the most growth here in the immediate future are what you describe: small closed-network groups.

Especially with big-ticket and sensitive decision-making where IRL/email is cumbersome, and open networks are too public. Whether it be picking a wedding dress, or a couch, or a vacation (or sharing those insane pics from vegas), you want a small group to be able to communicate and come to consensus.