A look into the future of social media
by Ali Birston ~ October 28th, 2012. Filed under: Comm 464.“Never be afraid to put aside a good thing to achieve a great thing.”
After attending a presentation this past week by Alfredo Tan (Direct of Marketing Solutions at Facebook Canada), I left with my mind spinning with ideas, inspiration and a better understanding of the evolution of how we as humans connect online. It was absolutely fascinating to hear directly from an insider from the company at the forefront of digital innovation, and after a couple of days trying to digest it all here are my top 3 takeaways:
1. Put people at the center
We are now in an era of online authenticity where people are open enough to create genuine identities online. It is these people who are the driving force of what we as marketers do online and therefore they should be at the heart of all of our decisions. Facebook fans are the most valuable customers and the power they now have to influence their friends is astounding.
2. Tell a story
The web is built around people, and there is nothing that engages people more than compelling stories. This has always been the case in human interaction, and is no different online. Social media platforms simply provide the opportunities for brands to thrive, then it is up to marketers to communicate their stories effectively to captivate their audience.
3. Move fast and break things
In the world of technology, staying one step ahead of the game is not enough. Facebook has certainly figured out how to be a leader in innovation and one of the key reasons is because of their ability to move quickly and learn quickly. To quote Zuckerberg himself, “if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough.”
There is so much potential in the digital space, if only we have the courage to put aside a good thing and take the leap of faith to achieve a truly great thing.