Social Media Technology—Changing All the Time
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Tue, Nov 17, 2009
It's no surprise that computer and cell phone technology is still changing at blazing speeds. Moore's Law shows no signs of slowing, and researchers are driving phone and computer technology at a rate that is frankly pretty exciting. And, like basically every new technology, when something new emerges, people will be quick to discard any practical application and use it to socialize.
What this means is that social media tech is changing rapidly too. For example, who could have predicted the popularity of the iPhone app? Since mid-2007 the app has more or less totally changed the way iPhone users interact with the world. If you disagree, you probably don't know anyone with an iPhone.
The trouble is, predicting changes in social media technology has proved reliably difficult. And like anything in business, being in on the ground floor gives one tremendous advantages; joining with the herd means, well, joining with the herd.
Ah, but then the danger: you don't want to run with a fad that is going to look silly in a few months or years. This is, unfortunately,
a problem that may be unavoidable. Remember the 80's?
The best way to deal with changing social media technology is to apply the existing elements of your marketing plans, and use teamwork to gain a consensus. The new Droid phone from Motorola certainly appears to be a very capable machine, but can it compete with BlackBerry and the iPhone? What will its social media products and applications look like, and most importantly, will you be able to use them to improve your business?
Staying current with knowledge is imperative, but decisions on actions should be made with caution. There will be occasional instances where it is necessary to act quickly to gain a competitive advantage, but caution is the name of the game in using social media technology.