Here at Posse Social Media Consulting Charlotte, we know that so many people today seem to be concentrating on Life After Facebook. They wonder whether it will suffer the same sort of collapse that has brought MySpace to its knees. It is not wonder when you take a look at the speed of social media today – like greased lightning! Knowing what the next big thing might be would give social media marketing pros the inside edge they need to boost public awareness of their products or services!
Other people are on the lookout simply because it will offer them an even better outlet for their need to connect with others no matter how well known or how socially obscure they may be. There is only one trouble with this. Facebook is stronger than ever and with the limitations of location based networks, this is not going to change anytime soon.
It is best, in this case, just to let the pipe dream of the Next Big Thing go its way. You will be much better served by keeping an eye out for the little guys. You know the ones – these networks have all the cool bells and whistles that will help to reshape the face of social media as it continues to evolve. These are the ones that will force the larger networks to adapt to meet the needs of the consumer. They may even be rolled into the large guys through buyouts.
This being said, I have listed here some of the networks that I feel are definitely on the radar. While they may not be the Next Big Thing, I do feel that they are innovators in social media rather than hangers-on.
Grouply – Ning did away with its option for free use. I get that; the only trouble was that the pay system that took its place is not an option for many users. The good news is that Grouply is on the scene. Not only can it directly compete with the features offered by Ning, it also carries the perfect price tag – free!
AllMyBiz – While the name may sounds like a cheesy soap opera, the idea behind this social network is outstanding. It offers the perfect level of separation between your professional life and your personal life. One of the biggest problems with Facebook and its offshoots is that it just requires more bandwidth than I can spare. With AllMyBiz, I can easily separate my pastimes from my business. The only current trouble with this is that it is currently in closed beta.
Pip.io – Do you catch yourself longing for the old days of message boards? Just imagine these conversations combined with the ability to send out Twitter updates! With Pip.io, conversations driven content is king. Another bonus is how easy it is to keep a handle on your privacy controls.
Scoop – Imagine how big Facebook could have been if it had been released in a mobile network format in its early days. Guess what? Now there is a network that is doing just that! Scoop is not only promising to break through, it is being funded by TomorrowVentures, the brainchild of Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO! While it isn’t open to the public, this network is showing a ton of promise.
Face2Face – Broadcasting your personal location across a social network may seem downright scary. There are however several bonuses in being able to do so through a location-based network.