[No Comment] The Year of the Social Network

This is the time of year one starts planning for the next and reflecting on the year that is passing (too fast I might add!). If one had to label this year in our industry, it would be the ‘Year of the Social Network’. The social media revolution going mainstream is one of the most significant shifts in global communications. It is how we will communicate in business and socially in the future. It is the future of our media industry and our brand communication. You might not be on Facebook, you may not be blogging or even reading blogs – yet – and you may not get what social media has to do with your brand – yet – but you will. Every key conference I have been to this year – whether in media, marketing or advertising – has addressed the digital revolution that is happening and what it is doing to the media industry and what is required from brand communications. Online might not be right for your brand right now, but you need to have an online brand strategy nevertheless. You need to understand the fundamentals of social media. And before you point out that much of the developing world does not necessarily have access to the Internet via PCs and may never… Africa may well follow India’s example and go straight online via the mobile phone: there are 400 million mobile phone users in Africa already, 40 million in South Africa… and the most popular social media sites online with the highest number of users are kids sites for under-10-year-olds: your future consumers!

Keep networking! Louise Marsland, editor@bizcommunity.com
Marketing news: marketingnews@bizcommunity.com

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This column originally published 12 November 2007.