Social Media Integration in 2010
Posted on Tue, Jan 05, 2010
Yesterday marked my return blog after my hip replacement convalescence. Now BizWorks360’s content management system is being transferred over to HubSpot. While the website will remain active, we will not be making any changes or additions to it until after the transfer is completed. My partner David Mozes and I are very excited about our new business relationship with HubSpot. We have gone through a free trial period with them and have also used some of their free software tools, like Website Grader with several of our clients. We also know that HubSpot will be a tremendous resource for us as we build and scale our business. In the meantime, in lieu of blogging, I will be stepping up my comments on blogs I follow and admire as well as developing posts for our blog when it returns in February.
Finally, in yesterday’s post, I did promise some insights on Pete Cashmore’s thoughts on the Top 10 Web Trends for 2010. Pete, in addition to being the Founder and CEO of Mashable, the world’s largest blog focused on Web 2.0 and Social Media, he also writes a weekly column for CNN.com on social networking and tech. Here are Pete’s top 10 web trends which suggest increased social media integration in 2010:
- Real Time Ramps Up. I agree with this given the growth of Twitter and Facebook’s News Feed as well as the increasing usage of smart phones which facilitate all forms of real time search. Cashmore also thinks that Google Wave will factor in over the coming 12 months. Of course, I am still trying to figure out how to work with it!
- Location, Location, Location. The GPS functionality in smart phones is sparking new location based services. With more and more friends and colleagues getting on the Foursquare bandwagon, I also agree that the local trend will only get bigger.
- Augmented Reality. This is a trend that will also be powered by GPS functionality in smart phones. Data about you and your location will be mapped together to simulate experiences on your smart phone. He didn’t mention any particular services as examples, so I am not sure on this one, but will be curious to see what happens.
- Content Curation. I am a big fan of this web trend – we need curation to make sense of all the data coming at us. Twitter lists are a start, but I am looking forward to professional curated services.
- Cloud Computing. This was definitely a buzz word of 2009. However, personally and professionally, we are all getting to used to having data in the “clouds”. Even Microsoft is getting on the bandwagon with “Office Apps”, free downloadable versions of Microsoft Office programs in conjunction with the release of Microsoft Office 2010.
- Internet TV Movies. From Boxee to Apple TV to Netflix’s Roku service, streaming movies into the home is getting more popular. I am setting it up myself at home.
- Convergence Conundrum. Smart phone GPS services are eliminating the need for services like Tom Tom and Garmin, while Smart Phones are just not big enough to replace the functionality of the Kindle. In the meantime, I am having a conundrum figuring out what this web trend fully means!
- Social Gaming. This was a big trend in 2009 as Farmville and Mafia Wars took off. I agree that this will continue to grow, but it is increasingly becoming a very hit driven buisness.
- Mobile Payments. Yes, it is what it means – paying bills using your mobile phone! I know it is inevitable, but I am not sure it will become the rage in 2010.
- Fame abundace, privacy scarcity. This has always been an issue for celebrities, but even more now in this increasingly networked world, as Tiger Woods’ infidelities were exposed in text message records! While many of us will never experience fame, we do need to be guarded about our privacy and what we do share online.
I look forward to returning to blogging soon . . . in the meantime, I hope that you are getting in the groove for 2010 and leveraging the trends!