Where Do We Go From Here?

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August 12, 2010 | BY Mike Rynchek
  

Show of hands, who predicted the rapid growth of Twitter or the sudden vernacular snafu of trying to market like pages rather than fan pages? I can tell you, like most marketers, I didn’t see it coming. So where do we go from here? What’s next for us as tech junkies and rapid consumers?

Before I dig in, let me first preface that I am willing to be wrong. The predictions below are mainly based on the feedback I have seen with client relationships and observed by engaging with consumers.

Social fatigue is going to be a more frequently used term as people continue to feel the weight of constant connectivity. Staying connected is only one factor. The question becomes how does one manage the vast amount of virtual relationships over time. As marketers we need to constantly find new ways to reward advocacy through quality content, incentives, new benefits, etc.

Techno stress is another term that today’s workforce should be familiar with. It’s the feeling you get when Twitter is down for a half hour or your e-mail is down for the afternoon. When technology works it’s amazing, when technology fails it can feel like the world is grinding to a halt. Techno-stress is our response to technology and how we are changing due to its influence.

The average worker can handle 50 e-mails a day. Now think about the fact that 90 trillion emails went through cyberspace in 2009, or 247 billion emails a day. When people are constantly being inundated with information and interruptions, their focus is not operating at full capacity and can lead to stress related problems like information fatigue syndrome.

Micro-communications are now, and will be the future, how information is corresponded to people. They are bit-sized pieces of information that get messages across as efficiently as possible. Micro-communications combine elements of blogging with instant messaging and social networking. There are multiple channels that allow diverse audiences to view a broad range of content at the virtual water coolers.

Because it’s much easier to talk than to type, eventually, people will be able to micro-communicate audibly. Think about traveling to a conference, you’re stuck in traffic, and you just found out that your business has made a huge discovery; you will be able to talk into your smart phone, which will subsequently put your announcement on Twitter, Foursquare, Google, etc.

The future by definition is unknown, but the future is right in front of us. Technology will always be evolving and coincidentally becoming outdated. The more we can learn to harness all the capabilities of our technology, and accept the stress that comes with it, the sooner we will be able to take full advantage of what it can do for us.

This article was originally featured in the Minnesota Business Magazine’s Expert Forum.

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  • http://blog.thomasmwendt.com Thomas Wendt

    Social fatigue and techno stress are definitely things I think about (and feel) on a pretty regular basis. I’m a pretty avid Twitter user, but not as involved as some. It is turning into such a powerful form of focused mass communication. I say “focused mass” because it reaches so many, but those many are still somewhat focused among followers and recipients of @replies. I see profiles sometimes with 100+ @replies a day, sometimes more. That level of connectivity will definitely wear on someone after a while.

    Techno stress is a killer. Just yesterday when Hootsuite was down during their update, the frustration I felt was pretty significant. It’s almost unnerving to think back on how upset I got just because I couldn’t check my Twitter and Facebook feeds for a little while.

    It seems like the desire for connectedness is there and extremely powerful. Once the conection is severed, it almost creates a sense of self-loss. Are social networks beginning to incorporate themselves into our sense of self to the point losing the network actually equates to losing part of the self?

    I have been toying with the idea of blogging about micro-communications for a little while (this post gives me more food for thought). I’m not sure I agree that there will be a major shift to voice over text. Perhaps in some situations, such as your example, it could be useful. I do think, however, that while it is easier to speak, writing is more efficient in the long run for strategic communications. I can see voice communications for something like an internal networks, like a project management team within a company. I’m not so sure it would catch on for marketing to the public like text based networks have. But like you say, the future is unknown.

  • http://www.twitter.com/mikerynchek Mike Rynchek

    Hi Thomas,

    Thank you for the well thought out comment. Social Media although an amazing and powerful tool, it does have some downside. Is it healthy for us as individuals to feel that level of stress when a program goes down? Or is it something we will learn to understand? Interesting discussion.

    I believe the shift in consumer behavior relating to self worth and Social has been facilitated by Social channels. I did a post a while back comparing Social Media to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The parallels are pretty amazing. (And a little concerning at the same time.)

    Looking forward to checking out your post on Micro Communications.

    Thanks again.

    Mike

  • http://blog.thomasmwendt.com/2010/08/15/twitter-and-the-culture-of-micro-communication/ Thomas Wendt Freelance Writing » Blog Archive » Twitter and the Culture of Micro-Communication

    [...] for this post comes from Mike Rynchek’s article on the Spyder Trap Blog.  In this post and at least one more, I plan on supporting, expanding, and respectfully [...]