Let’s play the word association game here. Tell me what comes to your mind when I say the word December. Of course, Christmas, shopping, holidays….Predictions!! Yup, predictions that’s the one this blog post will be all about. What will the year 2009 hold for us?
I have put down my 10 predictions. Five of these are on a more socio-economic level at large. Most of these changes that I am predicting will be huge leap jumps in their own way and will be possible only because of extensive use and acceptability of social media.
1. Thought Leadership as a Strategy:
These days, it is not uncommon to see people seek value out of everything. And by value, I am not restricting it to price equation alone. Value could be delivered in the form of information, education, better quality or even better service. One of the key principles of social media is to provide value to its consumer. For companies and in turn their brands to survive, they will have to provide value at all levels to their consumers. Social Media will prompt companies to adopt thought leadership as a value in their manifesto in their area of core competence.
I predict that in 2009 most companies will use thought leadership as a strategy in their respective categories by educating consumers to win potential consumers and retain existing ones.
2. Online activism:
World over, we are witnessing increase in online activism from citizens. People are reaching out to each other across the country or world either for peace rallies or prayers or candle light vigils or to form groups to decide on action steps. Social media is providing a platform to like-minded people to connect with each other and come forward to participate in events. It is being used to educate citizens to become more alert and aware about their surroundings.
I predict that in 2009 there will be a lot more of government and citizen collaboration to fight not just terrorism but also for better governance. And the mode of collaboration and reaching out will be through social media.
3. Traditional media will rediscover itself:
There is a lot of talk on how traditional media will lose its sheen in the coming years. I believe it will continue to do so if it keeps following social media principles without reinventing itself. Take the case of citizen journalism. A couple of TV channels have started running segments where the citizens report in news to the people at large. As a subscriber I am not paying TV channels money to hear news from the common man. I am expecting a thorough analysis done by the reporters and journalists on the events before it being presented to me. I want an unbiased, complete perspective which an untrained citizen cannot provide. For citizen based reports, I always have social media platforms to go to.
I predict that in 2009 channels adopting practices like these will die. Traditional media is still very important in our lives and it has to discover and operate from its own strengths rather than borrow principles of social media.
4. Rise in Entrepreneurship:
The coming year will see a surge in employees turning entrepreneurs. Two of the key barriers for any entrepreneur are sourcing and marketing. They do not know how to reach out to their potential customers or their relevant suppliers and secondly do not have big marketing budgets to do so. With social media coming into play, both the barriers will be tackled for good. Armed with a profile in social networking sites like Facebook and Linked in, an entrepreneur can reach out to his potential customers and vendors at practically no cost. I have several of my friends who have leveraged SNS to their advantage. One is running a store called Attic and the other is promoting himself as a photographer. Several others have networked themselves on Linked In and reached out to their potential clients. This is no to say that they do not need a great idea and passion to implement the same.
I predict that in 2009, several people will turn to entrepreneurship as social media will facilitate them in their process.
5. We will turn into listeners:
Let’s admit it, most of us if giving a choice would rather speak than listen. It’s a sort of conditioning that as happened to us over the years as the media we used facilitated only one way communication. With social media increasing its presence, we will have to get used to receiving feedback. Our consumers, investors, employees will have the opportunity to talk to us directly and we will have to listen. If we want to continuously seek and retain their attention, we will have to start listening and accepting feedback.
I predict that in 2009, we as individuals and corporate will definitely change and start listening to each other more often.
Click here to read the remaining five predictions for the year 2009.
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Tags: 2009, Citizen Journalism, December, education, entrepreneurship, Facebook, journalists, Linked In, Predictions, Social Media, Windchimes Comm
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My major prediction for 2009 is that it will be the year in which business and PR finds an honest voice. The signs are already good that that will be so: http://paulseaman.eu/2008/12/john-varley-of-barclays-unspun/
Your points are brave. I like your belief in the strength of traditional media and your belief that entrepreneurs will thrive during the down-turn. I think so too. Those who see only doom are doomed to be proved wrong.
I agree wholeheartedly with your #1. For the longest, clients “express concern” (code word for “complain” … smile 🙂 ) as to why should they do something social *** if *** there is no dollar ROI. So often, the doing-it-to-do-it to position yourself as a thought leader … they say … sounds great but gets overlooked, rejected or thrown out the window because they are looking at the bottom line. I do realize that the bottom line is important but not all ROI’s can be measured directly by dollars, at least not in the social arena. Every day, marketers are trying to crack the dollar ROI code from social networks. To date, some progress has been made but for the most part, social networks are, helloooo … SOCIAL … and are used in large part for communications.
Thought leadership, especially in a recession market, will become an instrumental part of a marketer’s arsenal. The dollar cost involved in positioning oneself as a thought leader is minimal (compared to many other forms of positioning). All it takes is to share relevant, industry or market information and a little bit of your insight. Add a time investment and consistency to that recipe and you have instant thought leadership positioning. Surely, you can do a lot more to expand upon this foundation, but the basic groundwork would have been established.
I like your other predictions but this is one I think will really evolve forward for 2009. Thanks for a great post.
Wow, quite a list Nimesh. I encourage you to subscribe to the Economist. Every December they recap the year. How cool would it be to see of some of your predictions come true!
Re your points:
1. Some are already ahead of the curve. Example: Pharmaceutical’s backing of WebMD.com
2. Probably my fav of your points. With the recent Mumbai tragedy, there has been a brevy of online activity re: Indian-Pakistan relations. Have you might Imran Anwar yet? (http://www.imran.com/media/blog/)
You may not like his points, but you can at least have a conversation, yes?
3. YES. As social media advocates, we forget the power of traditional media. Better yet, when we invent a ratings system, ala Nielsen, we’ll be better able to quantify our results.
4. Your examples point to the trend.
5. Golden rule of social media: ENGAGE your customer in conversation. Example: http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/
I think your predictions are great.
However I don’t think we can under estimate the problems that effective use of social media presents companies.
They have to change the way they think and run their companies.
They have to reach out to their customers in a way they would probably not do if all things remained constant.
They have to answer questions never before asked.
They have to invite all comment good and bad and deal with the consequences of same.
There is not hiding place in social media world.
I believe all of your predictions are vaguely accurate and will be proven so in 2009. The two I agree with most:
#4 “several people will turn to entrepreneurship” – Absolutely. With massive job loss and thousands of channels to build conversations and consideration for new opportunities, the marketplace will be democratized for unique ventures to capture a foothold. or at least a start. At the same time, this application of new and shared ideas with new relationships will be met with a lower cost of doing business (office space, fuel, labor, supplies…).
#5 “We will turn into listeners” – as he/she who doesn’t listen will certainly awake to missed opportunities and priceless feedback and scrutiny. Social media builds two-way conversations that will erode the efficacy of monolthic focus groups, media plans and “demographic” prescriptions.
@Paul – Traditional media is going strong but they will have to reinvent themselves to survive
@Mayra – Completely in sync with your point on thought leadership. I too have found it challenging at times to convince my clients to see the bright side to it. It’s difficult to show them the beenfits as the approach is slightly more long term
Thanks for commenting. Do subscribe to our blog feeds
Nimesh
@Roland – Will defi subscribe to the economist. Want to see how much of my risking my neck out turns to be true.
Good point on Imran. Will try to connect and see what is possible.
@Sarah – The biggest barrier of social media is going to be the mindset of the people. Social media isnt unlike other mediums and hence the rules of the game are very different. Marketers will have to give up control and that is the bog idea here.
@Hayden – Thanks for commenting.
Do subscribe to our feeds for regular updates on social media
Nimesh
Nimesh– great predictions.
There’s a common theme through a number of your predictions that echo what we’re predicting for social networking in the enterprise– Trust.
In 2009, we predict that companies will finally figure out how to use social networks in the right way: by building up (NOT undercutting) the trust between employees and their friends. In 2009, you’ll see HR, marketing, and sales organizations at leading companies capture real business benefits from effective, trust-based use of the social networks of their employees… Read more at:
http://www.appirio.com/blog/2008/12/2009-prediction-enterprises-will-figure.php
Thanks Ryan for commenting. Will check out your blog
Great first five predictions! Looking forward to seeing your scorecard at the end of 2009.
Item Number 3: If by rediscover, you mean that something new, never seen before will emerge, I don’t think they have the emotional stamina to begin the transformational process. They are stuck in the cocoon, and unwilling to even try and escape.
If you mean rediscover as in learn to co-exist, then I would wonder how the town crier learned to coexist with the printing press, or the pony-express with the Fed Ex truck. And we are all very proud of the horse drawn carriage and how it is coexisting in the age of the automobile. Sometimes, the strongest must survive and the weaker must be allowed to become extinct.
Good Hunting,
Thanks for commenting Tim. I really stuck my neck out with few of those.
I would define rediscover by co-existing. Coz i firmly believe that traditional media too will have a role of play. But it will not be in their same conventional approach. They will have to find out what works for them and stick to it. If they don’t give up on their principles then they will be able to draw up a survival plan for themselves
Nimesh
[…] Social Media Predictions for 2009 […]
Hi —
Thank you for allowing me to reference your post on my site for social media marketing PR for the legal industry.
http://tinyurl.com/7rn62f
Happy New Year and much prosperity to you in 2009!
Kara
Hi Kara,
Am glad you found our posts on ‘Predictions for 2009’ and ‘Traditional Media using Social media principles’ useful and have linked it to your blog.
Thank you for your wishes. Wish you too a very exciting and adventurous new year!!
Nimesh
[…] Social Media Predictions for 2009 […]
Thanks for dropping by at my blog.
Great list. Listeners is great. I do however believe people will turn more into speakers when they discover more of social media. But of course listening will be a part of it.
I did my part later in December: http://www.ronnestam.com/2008/12/29/brand-and-communication-predictions-for-2009-by-johan-ronnestam/
Thanks Johan for commenting.
Let’s do a check of our predictions at the end of the year
Slightly differnet theme, but also making predictions for 2009 at http://trampolineman.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/predictions-for-2009/
Go ahead and leave yours too
@trampolineman – Will surely go and read
“It’s a fact of life that the Internet will kill off some of our business and severely damage a lot of conventional industry.” – Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group Ltd., regarding the Internet’s long-term effect on traditional businesses.
Aren’t travel agents feeling the heat?
@RG – wonderful example of travel agents going out of business cos of Internet. The big point is that if you are not adding value then you will die!!
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