10 Accurate Predictions About Social Media In 2010

Along with the variation in usage, the dependency of web users on social media amplifies every year. And I don’t really declare anything without proof. We have seen the significance of social media during Barack Obama’s campaign, which led millions into action. The population of Iran protesting against the election was widely known due to social media. Hence, the magnitude of impact cannot be termed as “less” or even “mediocre”.

It’s not possible, today, to detach social media from online users. For instance, last month, the strength of facebook was 350 million users, only 30% Americans among them. This figure comprises 25% of the total web traffic. Almost every one of them uses Tweeter or some other similar service to confirm status messages. Over 94% of the active enterprise tends to uphold or raise their investment in social media. It isn’t just a vogue now. People use social media in houses, SME’s, and business giants. It is now reaching health, education, and non-profit sector. From excitement, freshness, and bewilderment, social media is now a form of communication, to be precise “a language.” From entertainment, to importance, it’s now “a necessity”.

So, what would it look like in the coming year? What would be the meaning of being connected? According to me, social media will change in 2010 in following 10 ways:

1. Social Media Will Emerge As One, Interconnected Experience Entrenched In All Our Gadgets and Actions:

   

   By the end of 2010, social media won’t be just ‘Social Media.’ It will emerge as a combined, inseparable element of your online and offline activities. The presence of unified social media will be single across platforms, and on all the devices and gadgets like Television, internet, mobile, radio, video, etc. It would not be, then, possible to detach social media and any experience.

   Web users will view content from any platform through any gadget, mashup their pics, send text and video, and communicate with everyone effortlessly. New games, new content, new videos, and everything new will be uploaded for the amalgamated population. People will be able to get everything on their desk or palm, like the world is exactly in front of them, ready to be edited, loaded, or vacated from any device, any platform.

2. The Modernization in Social Media Wouldn’t Be Restricted By Technology:

   With perpetual improvement in web services and extinction of constraints like closed platforms and separate logins, organizations are finding ways and will unquestionably come up with modern ways to exploit current technology instead of improving it. The world will witness a shift to influence the existing assets of content and abilities in a newer way that will transform knowledge into wisdom and insight into activities. We will watch more valuable pieces of information coming in, eradicating the useless one through collective oneness.

3. The New Fad – Mobile:

   Almost one-third of the total web traffic is brought in by iPhone. According to IDC, the number of internet users through mobile will reach 1 billion by the end of 2010. With the reduction in technology constraints and ease in browsing internet, people would prefer browsing through mobile while they are not using their PC or notebooks. Gradually, mobile will take the center stage. The decade, if not the year, will bring in thousands of mobile application, diminishing the usage of personal computers.

4. Battles for Content Enhancement:

   In 2009, content exploded throughout the web, making it accessible to everyone, everywhere, anytime, and by anyone. Google managed to sort out the information this year, but it will become intricate every year. Content will increase dramatically, but quality will be demanded.

   Along with companies, the content is now being developed by individuals. With lesser search result relevance delivered by search engines and hazardous effects brought in by free websites, people have started generating and integrating their own center of knowledge.

5. Social Media Will Be Reshaped By Enterprises:

   How effortlessly we forget that some of the major social media pillars like forums, intranets, collaboration tools, and listservs were introduced by large enterprises and not individuals. With social media taking the front seat, enterprises have planned to use the existing media to suit their needs. This year, they have planned to allocate 26% more funds in social media to market their services, solutions, and products.

   They have got the need and the resources. So, don’t fret if the future of social media is being shaped by the enterprises. They will amalgamate their current system with social media to meet their needs of sales, surveys, promotion, automation, monitoring, and developing. Recently, Salesforce.com came up with ‘Chatter’ that made the CRM and consequently, the company, social. It’s quite new, however it already has 69,000 users.

6. People with start gauging Return on Investment:

   Due to huge amount being invested in the social media, companies will start gauging the returns on the invested amount. Last year, although 18% of the investors were happy with the results of returns, the remaining 72% weren’t happy due to less return or their incapability to gauge the returns. Lessons from 2009 and more money invested will compel them to develop an infallible gauging system, and not results based on number of fans or users. They companies who will be successful in gauging the return on investment will be the ones that will survive.

7. Remarkable online-offline combination

   Varied avatars, games and virtual world replication was just the commencement of online offline combination. In the coming year, users will witness and experience innovative permutations as physical remoteness and barriers won’t matter. ‘Augmented reality’ now being available on iPhone, will help people to search relevant content on their mobile. Twitter360, of course through mobile, will let users contact each other, communicate, find status, and check updates. New products resting on the glass shelves of the stores would be observed from mobile devices and instant purchase would be possible. You will get discounts and offers on the products of your interest.

8. Re-hire older skills and professionals

   The upturn of social media and downturn of the financial system disappeared the conventional marketing and Public Relation roles. However, it is predicted that this year will be a comeback of these professionals. Most of the companies using social media tools will hire employees that can comprehend user psychology, and those who master the art of using online and offline social media. After sales service and customer support will be online, from top to bottom.

   The testimony developed by R&D department will be based exclusively on user experience and habits through social media, which will then be used for production and innovation. Very soon, you will come across job advertisements displaying vacancy for social media promoters, social media psychologists, and social media heads. These roles would be an integral part of the organizational structure and will handle the endless task of dealing with mass public.

9. The New Rulers of Social Media – Women

   The 2009 statistics shocked the world with some astounding revelations. It was proved that almost three-fourth of the buying decisions are made by women. The social networking sites have more than 50% female users, with women in age group 30-56 comprising a larger part of facebook users. Unlike previous decade, females today are free to express and involve themselves by the means of social media tools. Inherently equipped with excellent communication, grabbing attention, and building strong relationship, women will guide the social media, personally and professionally.

10. Entering New Spheres

    Due to the ease of use and interconnectedness, social media will enter new domains like education, hospitality, training and development, non-profit, and healthcare. The importance and pervasiveness of distance learning will surge as people can access much through their mobile.

By the end of this year, the introduction of social media would be a long forgotten topic. People would be discussing quality, value and relevance of these tools.

These are my predictions, what about you? How do you think will the social media change in 2010?