Cloud Talk

Without question,there's inordinate interest around how we use and measure social media today. However, for some of us, it's just as intriguing to consider how social media will evolve over the next 3-5 years. What will social media look like and how can companies prepare for this evolution?

First, we probably shouldn't be thinking simply in terms of "social media" but rather "social web". The popular term "social media" emerged out of the notion that social web technologies like blogs, social networking platforms and the like, can be leveraged as a new marketing channel. But the future of the social web is far more than simply social media.

To get a perspective on this, check out Jeremiah Owyang's Web Strategist blog and his post on the Five Eras of Social Web. It's a worthwhile read. Here's his take on the five eras -

Social relationship: People simply connecting with each other over the web. We create online identities and share information.

Social functionality: Owyang describes this phase as "social networks" become operating systems...not sure exactly what he means by that but I think he's referring to the evolution of social networks becoming a context for interactive applications.

Social colonization: A seamless, integrated web experience that's inherently social. It's enabled through portable identities and technology advancements like Facebook Connect

Social context: Personalized social experience.

Social commerce: Social platforms and communities drive commerce.

Like all future looking perspectives, it's conceptual. Time will tell if the social web will evolve in the way Owyang outlines in his blog post but for all companies with any kind of web strategy, it's important to consider. If nothing else, Owyang is forward-thinking - check out his other post on why corporate websites as they exist today will be obsolete.

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Will the social web evolve in this way? Where are we currently in this cycle? How do you think the social web will evolve and how can you take advantage if this?