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Posts Tagged ‘forrester’

Does Social Media Need to Adapt to Survive?

Based on the recent declarations by Forrester CEO George Colony, highlighted and dissected in a post earlier this week, social media is about to experience a decline or, at the very least, a recalibration.

While you may agree or disagree with Colony’s viewpoint, it seems the Web always finds a way to overcome and adapt.

The social media landscape is crowded and tiered but if you want to create a new forum, it needs to done outside of the box. Much like Facebook and YouTube, you need to have a pulse on what users want and where they want to get it.

The next wave of social networks will have to reinvent communication much like Facebook and Twitter did. To say that social media users and enthusiasts will tire of social media altogether is over the top but the stakes are definitely raised for the those on the horizon.

The next big break in social media will have to redefine the way we connect. Facebook opened up the world of connection, Twitter confined us to connect over 140 characters, and Linkedin asked us to embrace our professional persona. Redefing connection and communication is paramount for any future success.

Beyond this, new social media services must also include location based software and gamification to their highest capabilities. These app based developments are not only popular, they are effective tools to ensure brands invest in a Web or social media property.

As we have learned, unless a social network can be commercialized, the money will eventually dry up. Most of us are anticipating what will come next but the rules and challenges are already present for those dreaming of launching the next Facebook.

What do you think? What are the characteristics or features that a new social media service will need to really resonate with users?

By Mark Evans - December 16th, 2011 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

The End of Time-Wasting Social Media?

Is the social media party coming to an end? After raging for the past five years, have we come to a point where the ultra-growth of social media is over?

In some respects, it is hard not to believe social media is quickly maturing, and it is no longer shiny, new or fresh. It’s not that social media is dying or boring, it’s just become part of the landscape.

If you’re looking for a social media party-pooper, Forrester CEO George Colony seems be campaigning for the job. At the LeWeb conference in Paris, he threw a bucket of cold water on social media by suggesting people have no more time for social media and, in particular social media services.

“We believe social is running out of hours. Forrester believes we are reaching the limit of hours that people can give to social,” he said. (Hat tip to CNet)

Not only that but Colony expects to see harsh reality for social media start-ups coming down the road.

“We are in a bubble,” he said during his presentation last week. “If are building a social platform that will require more time of more users, you will likely not be successful. We believe this will sweep away some of the nonsense like FourSquare, and some these time-wasting social applications. The move to the post-social world, which is a little like the Web in the year 2000″

“We believe there will be a new wave of social applications that are more efficient. faster easier to use a higher value per time equation. The time-wasting mode no longer available to social. We see a new wave new players – more efficient and more time-saving.”

While Colony is being a tad dramatic, he does make a good point that people only have so much time to use social media, and it is getting more difficult for a new player to establish itself given the market is so crowded and competitive.

Like any emerging market, there are dominant companies (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube) and a slew of secondary players battling to become viable. As much as it would be great to see a new and exciting startup appear on the scene, the intense competition and the noisy marketplace will make it a challenge.

This could make social media less exciting because people like new things even if they’re content with what they are using. Maybe the “sweep” expected by Colony will be a positive development by making the landscape less cluttered – sort of like the new, healthy growth that happens after a forest fire.

At the same time, it is also important to recognize social media has become an entrenched and ubiquitous part of our personal and professional lives. It may not be red-hot but it ain’t going anywhere.

For anyone interested in Colony’s presentation at Le Web, the video is below. His remarks about social media begin around the 15-minute mark.

By Mark Evans - December 12th, 2011 - 8 Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

Do Work and Using Social Media Mix?

As social media becomes as much of a communications tool as e-mail, a major question facing many employers is whether they should let their employees use Facebook, Twitter, blogs, MySpace, etc. during working hours.

For employers, there are a few key considerations:

- How does social media use affect productivity? If people are spending time updating their Facebook status, posting tweets and uploading photos to Flickr, how much time does that take away from work?

- If you provide employees with access to social media services, how much of a risk is there that they will disclose corporate data and strategic plans – even if they aren’t blatantly doing it.

- How do you monitor and supervise what employees do on social media, particularly if it’s happening during work hours?

- What are the penalties for over-using social media?

Many companies have taken a drastic approach by simply not letting their employees use social media at work. It’s certainly one way to safeguard against any risks but it comes across as draconian.

Another approach is letting employees use social media but provide them with well-defined guidelines on what’s acceptable and unacceptable, what services they are allowed to use, and what’s a reasonable amount of time to be using social media.

This is a far more mature and pragmatic approach than simply banning social media. By providing well-articulated policies, companies are making responsible for their actions. It is a way to show employees that you respect their ability to make the right choices and decisions, while treating them as adults rather than children.

It’s also a way to encourage employees to embrace social media at a time when social media is becoming part of the corporate communications, marketing and sales arsenal. In some respects, letting them use social media is on the job training.

So, how does your company handle access to social media at work. Is it banned, or is it allowed? What about social media guidelines?

For more thoughts on social media at work, check out this TMCnet.com article, as well as this blog post by Forrester Research analyst Chenxi Wang on whether companies should let employees to use Facebook at work.

By Mark Evans - December 16th, 2009 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

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