Can you hear it? It’s coming but you don’t exactly know what it will be yet?
In this case, “It” is the next big thing in social media that a growing number of people seem anxious to see emerge. It’s not a huge outcry yet but it’s coming so be prepared.
Here are a couple of clues:
1. A story on Social Media Today asking “What’s the next Twitter of the social Web?”, in which the author explored whether the “next big thing” is location-based social networking, or video such as 12Seconds.TV or Qik.
2. A story on Mashable with the headline “Foursquare: Why It May be the Next Twitter”, and a declaration that “Foursquare has all the right ingredients to be one of this year’s big hits”.
The reality is the digerati is getting restless. Twitter has been red-hot for the past eight to 10 months but Twitter is losing its appeal as the shiny, new toy.
The digerati want something new and exciting to get excited about. Twitter is still cool but it’s becoming too popular and widespread to be seen as the property of bleeding and leading edge.
So, what is next? Maybe it’s Google Wave, or mobile video now that the new 3G S iPhone is equipped with a video camera. Or maybe it’s location-based services using smartphones with GPS.
Whatever the next “It will be, the natives are getting restless for something new and shiny.
What do you think it will be?
Update: Here’s a blog post from SocialWayne asking whether Posterous is the “next big platform”.
6 Comments
Hopefully my current project based around contacts and sharing of contacts.
These so called digerati who may be clamoring for the new Twitter just show their total lack of understanding of social media and Twitter in particular. If I see an article that asks "Is xxxx the new Twitter?" I automatically know that it is written by people who don't understand social media for people who don't understand social media.
In my opinion the reason Twitter is popular is because it is an entirely new way of communicating; think email. So if you want to find the next Twitter, look for simple services that empower people to communicate in new ways, not ones that augment existing forms of communication.
I completely agree with you. My take is Twitter is just scratching the surface of its potential so rather than look ahead to what's next, we should focus on what else we can do with Twitter.
As for what's next?… My money is on the public release of Google Wave
I think the next big thing will be some sort of mashup between social media and augmented reality. Maybe an iPhone app that shows you a person's twitter feed when you point the camera at them or something.
Google Wave is vaporware. it's the next Orkut.
It's doesn't even have the most basic hooks built in, and as for monetising third pary apps….forgetaboutit.
http://deancollinsblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/googl...