What Will The Future of Social Media Hold?

Hey Folks! It’s Social Pro month here at PhotoShelter. We are almost ? of the way through October and all month we have been celebrating our social media managers; those social media ninjas that manage our online communities and set the strategy behind getting you (the audience...that fan...that follower or influencer) the content we so deeply thirst for every day.

And so that got me thinking about social media’s rapid and vast evolution and its past and present day impact on people like myself.  

I took a stroll down memory lane and “tried” to remember when I first encountered social media in its infancy. (Cue my tweenager crying out “OK, Boomer!”) Therefore, where else would I go for reference material in this modern day world, but YouTube. I am pretty sure my first foray into social media was a three way tie between Classmates/MySpace/LinkedIn (not sure if LinkedIn was even considered social media back then). What I am very sure of is that this previous sentence just made me feel old. Best to own it, right?

I highly recommend that you take a minute to marvel at this short video of the most popular social media platforms from 1997-2020, which showcases the many different platforms and their evolution of subscribership through the years.  

I found it fascinating that there were many platforms I had never heard of before, but then again I would never proclaim myself as an early adopter of any product; definitely a laggard by all standards of product adoption.

The main observation that struck me was the obvious disruptors of the group. The notable leap of one player over the next; visible inflection points. The silent fall off of entire social media platforms that quietly went away overnight. What did these disruptors do to establish online “world domination”? They focused on the features and innovation that awarded them membership, engagement, monetization, and eCommerce.

“Social media is akin to a living organism. It evolves at a mind-blowing pace.”

Some noteworthy innovation & cultural shifts:

• Instagram moved from “just” a photo sharing app to including features like shoppable photo tags and Like2Buy options, transforming itself as a place of eCommerce. 
• Live Streaming and 360° Video made way for more real-time viewership and engagement on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. 
• Religious institutions now live streaming their services to bring their members “in” when the pandemic suggests it’s not safe to do otherwise. 
• Direct messaging within each application is fundamentally changing how we communicate with one another. (*Imagine a parent’s challenge to keep up on that oversight process!)
• People turn to Twitter for their real time news and trends. 

The social media platforms and content creators of today are experts at meeting the consumer/audience where they are and delivering up the “just in time” content they desire. For example, ZenDesk just announced that they are adding a customer support feature via Instagram. 

Hey, PhotoShelter Users! Imagine submitting us a support ticket without ever having to leave Instagram?! #mindblown

In my opinion, the greatest impact that social media platforms have on our society today is that they serve as the conduit for brands to express their “voice” on important current event matters.

A few prominent examples are: Nike’s participation in the #blacklivesmatter movement.

Nabisco with their OREO #ProudParent campaign commercial on YouTube to announce their PFLAG National Partnership. *SPOILER ALERT: Grab a Kleenex because this one is incredibly touching and tugs at the heart strings.

Given how far we’ve come so fast, what will the future of social media hold?  The author of “5 Innovations Driving The Future Of Social Media” profoundly analogizes: “Social media is akin to a living organism. It evolves at a mind-blowing pace.”  Isn’t that the truth?!

All the more reason we celebrate the collective think tank of Social Media Pros this month here at PhotoShelter.  Proof is in the pudding that these creative, nimble and talented individuals are the driving force behind social media’s lightning speed evolution. Bravo! 

Head over to our Social Pro hub to join the celebration, and to see how you can empower the Social Pros on your team.