Can’t seem to get the perfect holiday selfie? Haven’t been pinning festive holidays crafts on your Pinterest boards? Can’t stand to receive another Candy Cane Gram? Sounds like you’re feeling more like Ebenezer Scrooge than the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Before you go ahead and tweet #BahHumbug onto your feed, dear Scrooge, let’s take a journey with the ghosts of Social Media past, present, and future for some insight on where we’re headed in the coming year.
The Ghost of Social Media Past – Friendster & Myspace (2002-2003)
Remember Friendster? Some consider the site to be the grandfather of all social networks, featuring all the basics: connecting with your friends, uploading photos, customizing your profile layout, and updating all your buddies on the latest through your status update.
However, shortly after, Myspace came and birthed some of the best years in social media history. From allowing users to create Bulletins, pick their Top 8 BFFs, and dabble with HTML to add some animated glitter to your profile layout, these two websites have helped foster the creation of the social networking climate today.
You see, without these two revolutionary websites, holiday selfies, #Vlogmas, or online cookie-swap recipes would not be a thing! Now, let’s head over to see the Ghost of Social Media Present for some insight on what is going on in today’s world…
The Ghost of Social Media Present – Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram, Vine, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, Youtube, WhatsApp (2004-2015)
Since the inception of social media, our world has exploded with some of the most ingenious and creative ways to connect with people from all over. With the creation of Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, etc., we are more inclined to be connected than ever before. As our technology progresses, more channels are encouraging users to capture the “moment” and sharing anything and everything with your followers and friends, whether it is text-, photo-, or emoji-based.
Some people may blame this interconnectedness as a source of #FOMO (fear of missing out), however, which is why some timelines and feeds are covered with updates on what others are doing this Christmas season.
Feeling overwhelmed? Never fear – there are constant updates and improvements to the user experience to make it easier to follow, like, tweet, or comment on what’s going on with your internet friends’ lives. Sometimes, it’s as easy as finding content through a #hashtag search.
Let’s see where the Ghost of Social Media Future will bring us in the coming years….
The Ghost of Social Media Future – Sharing Even Further (2016-)
In 2016, get ready for a bigger focus on live-streaming. Whether you’re live-tweeting an event or live-streaming with Periscope, Meerkat, or Blab, social media will only enhance the user’s experience to broadcast every single minute of your life.
Also, watch out for 360-Videos. Facebook has recently launched this live-streaming video with a 360-view, which gives the viewer an even more interactive experience.
Speaking of interactive, the consumer journey will become much easier with the rise of the buy button onto social media sites, which will make buying that item that’s been waiting in your cart much easier.
What are your predictions for the future of social media? Let us know in the comments!
Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.
