What do you think Social Media is about?

I was recently asked by a journalist/publisher for my input (along with probably everyone else on this blog and 5 of our regular readers - the 6th reader being my mum, and in the nicest possible way they're right not to ask her) about "social media, fad or future?". 

I can't decide whether it's cheeky to pre-publish here or not. I'm sure the final article they pull together will still make an interesting read irrespective of me pre-empting, but I'll probably forget to post this if I don't do it now. The thing I really wanted to do though was ask any of you who haven't been asked to contribute what you reckon? Kinda in a more crowd sourced / Social Media engaged sort of way, which is probably, given the subject, what I should have done in the first place ;)

Anyway - publish and be damned I say - so here's my 100 or so words (there was a word limit, but as per usual I blew that :)

Social Media - Fad or Future?

Social Media will continue to grow in terms of influence and significance across many (& increasing) strata’s of society. As intrinsically social animals we have always come together to discuss matters of the day - Social Media is simply a term for where that happens online in a world where the Internet is ever-increasingly accessible, massively amplifying the volume and reach of such conversations. This forces greater brand transparency (product, service or employer), representing a BIG challenge for most companies to get to grips with. So whilst the speed of change may make the individual platforms “fad-like”, Social Media participation is a primal activity evolving in our increasingly web based world.

What do you reckon (in 80-100 words - ish)?

Comments

[Ben]

Wow - you used a lot of long complex words there Hensy - no surprise really... I just said yes. Looking forward to reading the article though.

Is it a fad, yes. Is it the future, yes. It's a bit of both. 'Fad' status now because people, outside of properly understanding it, think it might be, but the future, yes, because it will form ANOTHER component in the whole communications strategy.

In two years' time, ask again - I think answer will be different - it will no longer be considered a fad, and instead the response will be 'Are you really asking that question'.

Sorry I couldn't flower up my answer in any way like you have mister, and try and introduce a level of David Attenburgh in there, but ultimately, I think I agree with what you said.

[Wendy Jacob]

I agree with you both - yes it's a fad in some ways, but it's also here to stay in one form or t'other. Eventually it will be so "normal" that it will hardly even need a name. But in the meantime...!