Who Are You? Or Maybe Better Put…What Are You?
Years ago, I keynoted a digital conference and spoke about the end of the micro-trend (back then, it was a popular segmentation IP) and addressed my view of its take-over by the Nano-trend concept.
You might recall that Micro-trends became popular when Bill Clinton ran for President of the United States. Soccer Moms, as a segment, was always the best example. It was a way of finding unique defining characteristics of people with a higher propensity to vote for him. Think about the 90s Soccer Mom; it all falls into focus…as they fell for him—better educated, suburban, affluent—you get the picture.
Marketers jumped on this new IP and took it to the next step. The Soccer Mom needed a van, not a car (and probably heavy-duty detergent). Again, you get it.
Today as a stand-alone concept, it’s as meaningless as that same Soccer Mom. Because of digital channels, a former segment of Soccer Mom might also be a:
And on and on...including and still, the not to be forgotten or overlooked Soccer Mom. The best part is that the roles are all fluid...you can seamlessly roll up and add to her as a person, but she’s no longer one-dimensional…. just one thing.
But marketers beware. Don’t push Mommy vans when the Gamer is in play, or when the Fashion Influencer is influencing. MISTAKE!
Nano-trends require nano-thinking and planning. The bigger messages are OK, but smaller ones that are off-key—not so much!
“So…David, how does that affect Social Media?”
Most Social Platforms are no longer about you and your passion as much as they are about Brands, Influencers, and others trying to grab your attention and pretend they have a close, intimate, and engaging relationship with you.
As Brian X. Chen wrote in The New York Times:
“Social media is, in so many ways, becoming less social.”?
What began as the equivalent of the slide show your grandparents used or the videos your parents took (of your every step and birthday) have now been supplanted by professionally done videos selling stuff. As a result, an amateur hour became professional power.?
The implications are, in fact, huge.
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At one time, Facebook had pretensions of creating a Mega (not yet Meta) platform that would be the only place you’d ever need to be…for everything and anything. Therefore, you’d spend all your waking time there. You may even submit your work product on the platform; at least to investors, the idea was worth crazy valuations.
Meanwhile, they were sucking and selling all your data, charging for access to you, and making money from your desire to share something personal. Soon ads—not to mention racism, Anti-Semitism, and all other forms of hate became the norm—and your own sweet posts were in unsafe and weird personal Brand territory.?
Back to the Nano-trends. As quoted by the NYT, Professor Ethan Zuckerman (professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst) said:
“It's not about choosing one network to rule them all (love that reference)–that is crazy Silicon Valley logic. The future is that you’re a member of dozens of different communities, because as human beings, that’s how we are.”
And ironically, Mark Zuckerberg posted, in 2019, that private messaging and small groups were the fastest-growing areas of online communication. Jack Dorsey, of Twitter fame, now a poster on Nostr, was and is a champion of giving users control of what they see through decentralized social networks…NYT, Brian X. Chen, attribution.
Over the years, others foresaw this as well. There have been and still are several initiatives to allow users to control multiple social groups, engagements, and platforms from one APP or user-centric site.?
I have written about Mastodon before, and so far, they have resisted algorithms and such, but remember that Snap swore never to take advertising as well. Only time will tell. ?
Nano-Trends are coming into their own…as are how those communities share….even e-mail is playing a role. And as the dangers of Social Media Platforms get more and more public attention and politician focus as elections near…there will be more and more off-shoots of smaller/focused groups according to my Cloudy Crystal Ball….
A few final thoughts for our discussion:
And what are you doing??
As for me:
Weigh in…in whatever Nano you prefer….??
In rotation have a few appointments.
1 年Some of you people on these here social platforms are device controlled beyond words, I’m not texting you because you follow me. I don’t know you and could not do business with someone who exploits any every opportunity to achieve a sale. My financial interest come from in kind ways this is pure savagetry on these Social Media sites…
Founder Quest Network | Innovator: Reimagining the Narrative | playable storytelling | co-founder HERO2QUEST | Knowledge-Growth AI Gaming | Promotion for WRITERS | web3 | nft | dex
1 年this is a good article, but I'm afraid that many will disagree with me when I say that the fear of disclosing personal data is often not justified, and the use of our personal preferences for advertising and propaganda of ideas is rather a disadvantage of the host, because if the TV is turned off, then all the antennas that try to to transfer a picture - broadcast to nowhere. And microtrends are just fragments of the global social pool of likes and posts.
I agree with almost everything you write, and I'm my own central advisor, thanks.
Associate professor of advertising emeritus at Boston University
1 年David, what's your take on psychographic data? This attempts to build a profile integrating a variety of characteristics. What about geodemographics and clusters? Uh oh. Am I showing my age??? As a reformed political consultant and professor who taught Political Campaigning, I never bought micro trends. After Bill Clinton, Obama was credited with this strategy, but it came back to badly bite Hillary in her campaign.
Founder of crypto community
1 年Maybe now there is a transition to the new trend of web3 social networks! I make such a conclusion watching the development of their popularity, especially I am impressed by Solcial. But what is your opinion?