Calling David Armano of Edelman Digital a web 2.0 Nostradamus is a bit of an overstatement, not to mention paints David in quite an eerie light, however, I have to say, his past predictions have been pretty spot on. As David suggested back in 2010, businesses flocked in droves towards a more social climate and Google Plus has been quite a disruption to the “social scene.”
Considering Nostradamus predicted some pretty nasty things and the Mayan’s really haven’t cut us any slack, I will stick with David’s positive outlook:
Six Social Media Trends for 2012
Gamification Nation. No we’re not taking about video games. Rather, game-like qualities are emerging within a number of social apps in your browser or mobile device. From levels, to leaderboards, to badges or points, rewards for participation abound. It’s likely that the trend will have to evolve given how competition for our time and attention this gaming creates. Primarily, gamification has been used in consumer settings, but look for it in other areas from HR, to government, healthcare and even business management. Perhaps negotiating your next raise will be tied to your position on the company’s digital leaderboard.
Social Sharing. Ideas, opinions, media, status updates are all part of what makes social media a powerful and often disruptive force. The media industry was one of the first to understand this, adding sharing options to content, which led to more page views and better status in search results. What comes next in social sharing is more closely aligned with e-commerce or web transactions. For example, Sears allows a user to share a product or review with their networks directly from the site. Sharing that vacation you just booked, or recommending a product, or service from any site to a social network is where sharing goes next. We probably don’t know what we are willing to share until we see the option to do it.
