The Social Media Landscape [Tell Maria Gudelis Your Insights & Get Famous!]
Wow!! Check out these insightful online Social Media maps, built to depict the social media landscape!!These maps help you visualize who’s out there, what they’re saying, and where they’re sharing it.
Maps on Internet Traffic, Twitter Traffic, hottest Conversation times, Web Trends, Facebook Vs. Twitter and more!
This is a great visual for all of you especially if you are in the “consulting trenches” like me and it is a great graphic
to show your prospects and clients!
How do you think trends will change in this coming year??
Well now is your chance! I’m picking the top 100 insights by YOU.
And I, Maria Gudelis will publish on Amazon- your name, your website gets
instant marketing power and credibility.How?
Enter as your comment – what you see as the social media trends, your
personal insights and thoughts.My promise to you:
I will select the best 100 insights by each of you, and you will
get your insight published in an upcoming book.Note -your name will then be featured amongst some very
high profile experts and business leaders in the world.- big names for you to be associated with.
So get your thinking cap on and have fun with it.
Make sure on the comment you leave the info you want associated
on your page (s) in the book such as name, title, website etc.Cheers, Maria Gudelis
Maria, (2nd time posting this…)
Thanks for the opportunity to contribute!
What I see happening within the rapidly expanding social media landscape is an increasing number of ways for users of such platforms to be a lot more selective in what they are presented with. A way to deal with today's higher levels of information overload than in previous years.
I'm talking about elaborate filtering systems and softwares that not only allow users to dictate exactly what their profile pages show, but also which of that information is then transferred to another social media platform.
I envision multiple social media dashboards being released in 2010 – both online and stand-alone versions. These dashboards will allow synchronization of the user's preferred social media platforms, while allowing in-depth filtering and real-time monitoring options.
I also believe that as social media matures, many social media sites will choose to opt for a more distinct business model. Meaning, either they will be primarily "friends and family social" or they will be primarily "business social". And the savvy companies will leverage the power of both models to their great success.
Further, savvy companies will have employees dedicated exclusively to monitoring, creating, seeding, proliferating and obfuscating information regarding their company on a near-real-time basis.
Hope this helps,
Russ Guthrie, Founder and CEO
ResponsePerformanceMarketing.com
PS: Here's a GREAT article on how a Domino's Pizza chain manager used social media very successfully to handle a complaint that got "Caffeinated" right to position #1 on Google. This dude really gets it! http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/chicago-pizza-guy-creates-social-media-domino-effect/
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Russ – you are AWESOME – thanks a bunch for posting this and I agree
with your predictions…and also thing savvy companies will start leveraging a “loyalty” based
factor of social media.
thanks again! maria Gudelis
Woo Hoo!
We are now well and truly in the recommendation age thanks to social media. There is nothing on the planet more powerful than word of mouth marketing, the cheapest form of advertising there is!
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Awesome Jodie- yes – it is incredible what word of mouth marketing is doing…now word of text eh? Cheers, maria gudelis
Hello Maria and Friends!
In my opinion, Social Media has had both a positive and negative effect on the business model as we know it. Never before has the consumer has such power! Additionally, never before has the small business owner had the ability to leverage such technology and compete with the major corporations!
In the future, I think there will be a major need for social media management as well as “reputation management” for all businesses. Social Media allows for more personal interaction amongst people as well as a means for the average consumer to immediate voice his/her personal opinions about a product, service, or brand to the masses a the speed of light!
As a business owner, you will need to be aware of what is being said – albeit truth or untruth – about your personal brand. The need for constant pillaging on the web will be a necessary task as an additional means of customer service and damage control. An entire new career affiliation and internal departments will be created due to Social Media and the need to have a running pulse of your audience.
Most small businesses that I have the privilege of discussing this with have no idea what is being said about them online via the Social Media networks. Once this information is brought to their attention, a plan of action (or reaction) is formulated to combat any issues. However, even on this level, most mentions online are not favorable. These opinions are in front of millions of eyes and may have forever formed an opinion in the minds of the people that have read them. For this reason alone, personal brand management will be a major component for the small business owner with the growth of the Social Media networks and their usage.
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Hey Shan – you bring up some really good points! Just talked with a dentist the other day who has hundreds of patients, been in practice for over a decade…and one comment by a 19 year patient- just one put on a social media site is hurting his business….
I think business owners will also have to figure out great incentives for their ‘existing happy ‘ customers that outweigh the 1-3 percent in the social media-sphere!
Twitter: mcsgsmarketing
says:
Remember as a child we played “Follow the Leader”. Someone was always stepping forward to be the leader.
No one objected to the leader until they led us the wrong way. Then we chose another leader.
It was simple.
Take this simple story and create a global game and you have what we now call “Social Media’
Anyone can be the leader, Myspace was the first leader. Everyone who was anyone had a MySpace page.
Then we had various other sites trying to copy MySpace.
But then Myspace was defined as a “certain type” of site that was not quite the right fit for everyone.
So some chose another leader.
Various leaders have come and gone.
Some only play in local areas, some play globally.
Some are fun and some are about big business.
Which leader a person or business follows depends on the goal of the leader.
Does it match the goal of the person or business?
Like childhood games, “social Media” grew up too.
We went from Myspace to “Blogging” to “Forum Communities”.
Now we have Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Each is a unique entity and has unique characteristics.
The frenzy of the game starts all over again as new “Social Media” sites launch.
We cannot think that new “social media” games will not come along
because we as humans want to play another game somewhere, anywhere there are people!
For those savvy enough to use the potential in these sites to build their business,
success in their business will naturally follow.
The most wonderful aspect of “social media” is that anyone can play
Everyone can be seen and heard. There is no limit for the possibilities for success!
Mary Mach
MCS Global Marketing Solutions
A Managed Internet Marketing Business
http://mcsglobalMarketingSolutions.com
Mary is currently working on:
Getting Social with Your Marketing- How to Invite Your Customers to Your Business
copyright 2010.
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Wow – very impressed Mary with your insights! Thanks for the input and this one is a definite YES – YOU ARE IN the book!
Cheers, Maria Gudelis
Talk about a shift in “Cultural Communications”.
I see terrific opportunities for talented work at home Moms and Dads to be the eyes and voices for large and small companies, hey, outsourced “Here”.
I see the power of “one” playing out in real time.
Most businesses will get involved because it’s the trend and not because they fully understand the impact of Social Media, kind of a love hate relationship. I also see the next big void to be filled, “Reputation Management”.
Maria talk about Star Trek, Spock said “the needs of many outweigh the needs of a few” and social media gives voices to the many.
So this brings up a question, do social media and business ethics mature at the same rate?
I see new columns in my next business plan.
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Hey Kyle – love the Spock quote – hmmm…interesting book – Lessons on Social Media from Star Trek – quick grab that title!
Your question:
Great question to ponder…I am of the side of thinking no…unfortunately from what I’ve seen in the last decade….the business ethics won’t keep up with the social media…
Twitter: gbsint
says:
Large companies will create a “Social Media Management Department/Division” with small and medium sized companies outsourcing this requirement to businesses that special in electronic marketing with an emphasis on Social Media.
Social Media has taken over to the extent that even Google has recently moved Tweets to the top of their search pages, when relevant to the subject.
Businesses that are not on Facebook and Twitter will be left behind. Businesses, large and small, will find the regular static websites will barely get them noticed if enough of their competitors are using blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
If they thought getting customers is tough now – the treadmill is already cranking up the speed! Job security for those who know & can train people in the fine arts of marketing via the internet with social media.
Find the right tools now and use them while always keeping our eye out for changes and new tools.
To our success and growth,
Jerry
P.S. Thanks Maria for the team of professionals you have put together(Angii, Tina along with Trish, Jake and the others we have not meet or heard from yet) to train and assist us to help others & make money too!
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
You bet Jerry!
Love your statement:
Cheers, Maria Gudelis
If companies are not using Social Media especially videos in their marketing they are leaving money on the table, BigTime! The consumer/customer wants to see who they are dealing with, know, like and trust before plunking down hard earned money for a product or service. Let’s face it the days of anyone taking time to read a bunch of text on a website is over. We live in a society and culture where we need constant entertainment or visual stimulation. Look at You Tube it’s the most popular site in the world. Video marketing will only increase and will be produced with more of a Hollywood feel look and sound.
Twitter: http://www.marketinghuddle.com
says:
Maria,
I know that the next few years are positioned well for the Social Media Explosion we all agree on where the “little guy” (the consumer) has all the power at their fingertips. They control the information they access and can control the product when they rave (or not) about it on their social networks.
Here’s my prediction:
Social Media will grow so big so fast that there will be a need for “Simplification Tools” so that the average business owner feels like they can use Social Media without taking so much time or effort. We will see a need for the “Social Media Dashboard” where everything you need for your social media experience is in one place….and a checklist process to succeed in Social Media in 15 minutes a day!
Just my thoughts!
Warm Regards,
Mike Saunders, MBA
http://www.Marketing Huddle.com
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Hey Mike – thanks for the insight and yes – there is a HUGE need for social media simplification – quick – see if that domain is available
LOL
What I have found amongst some fortune 500 potential clients and top 10 ad agencies I’ve met with – they are looking for a ‘true’ social media dashboard. It doesn’t exist. One of our tech biz guru’s is writing up a tech/architecture spec on that now to see if it makes sense for Wildhorse to develop!
Cheers, Maria Gudelis
Twitter: markasullivan
says:
Social Media Landscape has soo many potential directions it can go in.
- It will increase customer satisfaction due to a high level of accountability. Companies that don’t take care of their customers will reap a groundswell of bad ‘word of mouth’ in a viral manner.
- There will be an increase of job openings in larger corporations for social media PR reps. Online reputation will start taking a front seat in board meetings.
- The little guy will continue to thrive in social media and project a vast online presence.
- People will trust the ‘little guy’ more and more due to the ‘credibility’ and ‘authority’ created from vast social media presence.
So many directions this will and can go in, it’s going to be an interesting couple of years in the social media landscape.
Twitter: markasullivan
says:
I guess I should add the personal info for the book as you requested Maria!
Mark Anthony Sullivan
http://www.MarkAnthonySullivan.com
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Awesome, thanks Mark!
Well from my perspective the always exciting aspect of our social media landscape is who is going to be the next rookie of the year…this year I would have to give it to Twitter for taking 2009 by storm and really carving a nice position for themselves for this next year coming up…The public (customer) is really feeling comfortable sharing their voice with the world and now corporations, even politcians are starting to pay attention…and even more exciting is we are starting to relate more and more through these platforms on a global level rather then just be limited to a local influence..anything in the future that allows our global communication and influence to continue to grow will be in the front of the social media pack!
I am interested to find companies that are interested to be placed their goods in the market which until now had been no contact so far.
I consider my long experience in such affairs and market recognition of thes region.
This region is very wide which includes many countries such as Albania, Macedonia Kosovo Serbia and Montenegro and Herzegovina Bosnen
Interesting that Russia is nowhere to be found. Here’s some interesting research on social media usage: http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/news/releases/2009/052009_social-media.html
Brian, interesting study, but I can’t help but wonder how they included “clubpenguin” in their list of social media sites! LOL Anybody over 14 years old use that site???
I’ve been reading some interesting opinions that basically point out the following:
* Marketing does most of the talking and very little listening; they get their insights from focus groups and broad market research, not from their customers;
* Customer service does all the listening and they know what customers are saying, but they never talk to Marketing;
* HR generally knows what employees are up to, but they don’t coordinate what employees say online about the company;
* The PR Dept watches over everything and does their best to de-fuse problems as they arise; they make a lot of noise, but only coordinate with Marketing.
Marketing spends huge amounts on market research firms when they could get better data faster from their own customer service people — if they weren’t half a world a way.
Meanwhile, PR Depts are paying huge amounts to third-party firms to build an online presence for the company, only to be undermined by employees posting their own complaints about RIFs, salary reductions, and dumb stuff that the company does to their employees.
So, many folks think this is the year we start to see Customer Service being moved into the Marketing Dept so they have some connection to their customer base; and PR merging with HR so they can coordinate how employees better represent the company when they’re not at work.
It’s pretty funny when you think about it. How company policies that try to force all of these rigid “Chinese walls” between departments are actually becoming their Achilles heel.
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Oh I’ve seen this first hand David – one of my clients – at the video shoots – the PR department totally changing the ad copy or script from the marketing department- and trust me – wasn’t a happy scene for the VP of Marketing once the videos were done, edited and given to the client.
Cheers, maria gudelis
Twitter: toprankedweb
says:
Hi Maria,
I’ve been following you closely for a while now and because of you, some of your students and the videos you have released my business has taken a change in direction. Unfortunately wasn’t in a position financially to take advantage of your coaching, but I really hope to change that soon.
The biggest struggle I’m having at the moment is figuring out how much to charge for services and what to actually include and not include.
Looking forward to more of your fee info because that gives me enough at the moment to keep me going and also try to gain some income so I can afford to become a student of yours when you next offer it.
Keep an eye out for me because you will see me pop up from time to time.
Regards and Happy New Year.
Ian Richardson
Australia
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Ian – keep an eye out for my free mastermind sessions and blog talk radio shows I’ll be launching this year as my goal is to have you start making money in this great ultimate business…and you can re-invest your profits in further education to boost those profits!
cheers, Maria
Free mastermind sessions and blog talk radio shows?! Sign me up!
My goal for 2010 is to become – as soon as possible!! – a successful Internet Marketing Consultant, specializing in Social Media. I need YOU to get me there, Maria! When do you plan to offer your next 14-day consulting challenge?
Twitter: BusinessScience
says:
I think it will be interesting to see what if anything existing and big businesses do about this.
Star Trek has it’s replicators so no one needs money anymore and people just do the job they love.
There is a window of opportunity here for individuals to connect with others in such a way that they can do the job they love and get well paid for it.
The web will start to settle down a lot more with Governments and other regulators getting involved (some good and some not so good).
I agree that businesses could have their finger on the pulse and have a strong dialog with their customers. It’s a two way street though and poor service could kill some of these old Goliaths (unless you’re in banking/finance)!
Oddly enough the UK libel law is such that people dare not say too much or they could get hammered in the courts (even if the company is completely useless)… Hohum
By the way, a friend of mine is building some software that could provide dynamic feedback from customers.
Note to self… must speak to him soon:-)
All the best
Steve
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Steve – yes speak to him soon and if you want – you can connect him to me as I have tech background and also am building some software – there may be some synergies…
if you want – call my office at 702-966-8500 to arrange an ‘virtual meeting’ a la skype or goto webinar with your friend!
These trends in social media will also lead to the need for product managers and brand managers to monitor the discussion of their specific products, not the corporation as a whole.
This changes the landscape for all major fortune 500 companies as well as small and regional firms that didn’t really have to consider what was being said.
Now a small or regional firm can create major impact and affect the marketplace like never before.
With the use of social media, and the ability to create and develop quickly, nimble small companies can take major market share on products and services long before the concept reaches the boardroom of the fortune 500.
Hi,
I am truly speaking that i am very much surprised to know about the post. Well i think both the things are totally different. I think social media is the only thing through which you can get a chance to connect to the world. Here you can get the lots of services. It is very sad that most of the people think that social media is a chat only.
Anyways keep it up and keep continue.
Twitter: mariagudelis
says:
Here is my first go at it!
I believe we will see what I call:
“Social Media Product Lifecycle Development”
What I mean by that is that businesses will for the first time, be able to get instant dialogue about their products and from customers about ‘products to be’ that they desire.
This is HUGE!
Never before has the power of “ONE” customer have such a say in a company’s direction…
…and that ONE customer being able to network with other “ONE” customers globally to then have a collective voice (no this isn’t the Star Trek collabotron.
)…yet this collective voice if heard properly and engaged in a 2 way dialogue – means more profits to the business!
You see, for a business owner or executive, this means being able to change on the fly and modify/add to their product developments.