Social Segmentation

A new report published by Trendstream this week highlighted the growing maturity of Social Media. The report, which forms part of ongoing research investigating trends in social media and web use, has revealed that participation in real time social media such as Twitter, increased by around 20% last year. The study also suggests that while Social Media began with the placement of personal content online, more and more business orientated content is heading towards the digital environment - providing a more streamlined and inclusive environment to share data in real time.

The study supports our recent musings about the future role of cloud computing, but also indicates that Social Media as an industry is starting to mature, as consumers begin to differentiate between applications and service offerings. Amid all these products and solutions, microblogging is emerging as the professional tool of choice for online marketers. Microblogging has been an integral part of Twitter and Tumblr, but is now an increasing part of the design of the Facebook interface. Trendsteam’s research has found that during 2010, the number of people linking external news content to their own posts or product reviews has increased by over 10%; the number of updates regarding personal photos has decreased by 5%.

Industry guru Jos White shared his views this week on the changes that lie ahead for 2011. His thoughts seemed to echo those of the Trendstream report; more professional content online and less emphasis on email as an effective means of business communication.

As these trends unfold, business leaders and marketers alike will need to quickly adapt to make the most of the opportunities presented, finding new, innovative ways to reach their target audience and customer base, as well as exploit opportunities to improve their own internal communications.