What is the Social Media Revolution and is it Over?
By Rock Paper Simple // April 20, 2012
The revolution has ended
The Social Media Revolution… if you have had an ear tuned towards the marketing world you have heard about it. It is essentially the shift of the web towards social interaction within the web and user generated content.
So I’m here to tell you the Social Media Revolution is over. “No”, you say? “Social media is alive and kicking”, you say? Yes… yes it is, and it is doing much more than that. At this point the web IS social and anything that isn’t social and interactive is falling by the wayside. The revolution came and went and Social Media has changed the way we use the internet. Gone are the days of static websites with either unchanging content or pointless Flash animation.
Today, the internet user expects interactivity and engagement everywhere they go. They expect to be able to “have a say” in everything… they expect to be able to affect their online experience and environment and if they don’t get it — they will move on. Take a look at the modern website with all of it’s interactive glory. The pages, posts and products with comment boxes, the fresh blogs with comments and conversations, the review modules for everything, the share buttons, the customizable styles and skins, the interactive media and so much more.
They [internet users] are used to more than just consuming information…
Post-revolution, the information and news broadcasting power has shifted out of the hands of the big giants and into the hands of the individual. They trust their peers more than the corporate giants and when you have many small broadcasters instead of a few big ones, information travels much much faster and efficiently.
No… the web has changed forever. The user has been empowered to make a difference and to have a say in the web world. They are used to more than just consuming information – they are used to be engaged, educated, entertained. They are used to having a choice. And that isn’t going away.
We live, work and play on a social internet; keep that in mind when you consider your marketing strategies, especially your internet marketing. It won’t work unless you tap into what users expect and the internet user of today expects more than pure information, they expect interaction.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments. In the meantime… watch the following video if you haven’t already:
Written by Joshua Adams at Rock Paper Simple
Joshua lives and breathes web development and internet marketing and is passionate about not only providing quality service, but also educating fellow business owners about internet marketing and web presence.
