Its a hectic time here at Cosmic and our minds are well and truly turning to the new year and what's ahead. I'm sure you are thinking the same. In particular lots of clients and associates are asking how we think social media is likely to develop from here. And short of getting a crystal ball in my Christmas stocking...
But seriously, what we've experienced in social media development in 2012 is that all of the major platforms have developed and reacted to the features and usability which subscribers, organisations and businesses want to use most - adding new features for specific usage and particularly those features which will attract and engage advertisers now and in the future e.g. bookings feature on Facebook pages. We've also seen some more negative developments across the social networks and here at Cosmic we've continued to provide clients with advice on best practice, professional approaches and systems set-up to ensure good protection of data, reputations, and your brand.
So, 2013 - what will it bring?
The number of users and subscribers to the various social networks will undoubtedly continue to grow - but the most important aspect of growth we suspect will be the amount of time which we spend on each of the networks. Here's the most recent estimate for the major social media platforms - we'd predict that the networks will be enhancing your experience in order to grow their share of your time next year.
Multitasking will take on new meanings in 2013 - with lots more people using internet at the same time as watching TV....and yes women are doing it more than men!
And there will be plenty of new developments for systems and apps which integrate your experiences in both - such as Zeebox encouraging audience participation whilst your favourite show is playing live on TV - commenting on the storyline, adding your thoughts, seeing how others react. And of course this will open up lots more opportunities for advertising and engagement in between TV programmes - we've already started to witness it at low levels with ad breaks developing your interaction on social media - competitions in particularly to harvest some data and get you subscribed to their channels.
The growth of video in general on the web will continue and will develop new business models - distance learning, training and consultancy services will all finds new and innovative ways to engage clients and deliver services across the pipes. The value of high quality content in video production and with excellent stories and examples to share will be key to generating interest, engagement and business.
And 'content is king' will continue to be a mantra here at Cosmic in 2013 - developing, protecting and enhancing your core content online remains at the heart of good social media strategy. Using a range of social networking to profile, share and promote your content can then always be linked back to the core business content and its offer.