Where would we be today without the Internet?
Ever since it was first introduced it has grown and evolved drastically, we depend on the internet for many reasons. We depend on it to get quick access to information we need and communicate with others. We can use it to access social networks, check our emails, order merchandise, and promote our businesses.
Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0
The internet was invented a little over 20 years ago, since then it has evolved drastically. The first stage, of what is known today as the world wide web, was the Web 1.0. The Web 1.0 was basically a bunch of web pages attached to hyperlinks. Mostly used by organizations to share their content to users. It didn’t offer users much interaction when they visited these web pages. Web 1.0 could be considered as a one way communication. The screen was very crowded with hyperlinks and overwhelming for users to navigate.
Over time and with gradual changes to the Web 1.0 it became Web 2.0. The content was better developed and more accessible to users. The users are now able to interact more, opening a more of a two-way communication. Some examples of web pages under Web 2.0 applications are LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Flickr, and Facebook just to mention a few. Users can post comments, they can leave reviews, chat with other users and post pictures, as well as videos. Web users can start their own blogs to share life experiences with other users. Users can go “live” on social media pages such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. These are just some of the ways they can interact within the web pages.
One of the most important aspects of Web 2.0 is that it is available on mobile devices, which gives users access to so much information at the tip of their fingers. Is this the end of growth for the Internet? Absolutely NOT! The internet will never stop evolving. With that said, Social Media will continue to evolve as well.
Social Media In the Future
Social media has taken the world by surprise. As I type, there are over 1.96 billion social media users worldwide, it’s expected, that this number will grow to 2.5 billion by the year 2018. The trends that shape the future of social media drastically affect other elements of the digital world. Experts are predicting that there will be outstanding improvements for social media in the future.
Predictions for Social Media’s future
- More companies will use Facebook and Twitter as their number one way for customer support, they will move away from using email and phone customer support.
- As live streaming has been so popular when it was first introduced through Facebook, more companies will use live streaming to engage their target audience rather than via emails.
- Companies will use social media platforms to promote and sell their products directly, moving away from eCommerce.
- Wearable will be the new mobile devices. The users will do shopping using avatars to try on wardrobes and read books.
- Social media will become much faster, no more waiting for content to slowly load.
- No more organic visibility, businesses will have to pay in order to get visibility.
- One social media platform will become a monopoly, acquiring other social media platforms. This could possibly be Facebook since it already has acquired Instagram and they have the largest amount of users.
References:
- Wellons, Mary Catherine. (2017). 11 Predictions on the future of social media. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/02/11-predictions-on-the-future-of-social-media.html
- Hutchinson, Andrew. 5 Key Trends That Point to The Future of Social Media. Retrieved from http://blog.firebrandtalent.com/2016/06/5-trends-point-future-social-media/
- DeMers, Jayson. (2016, August 22). 6 possibilities for the future of social media marketing: What does the future hold for the world of social media? Contributor Jayson DeMers shares his predictions. Retrieved from http://marketingland.com/6-possibilities-future-social-media-marketing-188391