Will instant messaging eat social networks?
Instant messaging is the new digital battle ground. Daniel Young looks at what impact this battle might have for the traditional social networks.
The social media landscape is changing, again, and the new players are demanding brands shift their mindset – from being human to getting personal.
Mobile Instant Messaging (IM) apps like WeChat, Snapchat and LINE are growing fast. They’re platforms that facilitate real-time chat and content sharing and their adoption is outstripping the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
And the new wave of social media is being led by a strategically important buyer demographic – teens and young adults – attracted to a natively mobile, private and personal way to freely communicate and share with friends.
Nope.
There’s inherent tension in social media platforms, useability versus profitability.
The first draws in users, the seconds requires them to be exploited. As soon as they get wind of the latter, they’re off to something different.
This is currently having a splintering effect on the social media space, with single-use apps becoming dominant over the multi-use ones. (Kik hot, Facebook not.)
Things I want to use personal messaging apps for:
1. Personal messaging
Things I don’t want to use personal messaging for :
1. A “brand experience”
remember ICQ kids? *kooku kooku*
Yes, it already is private message for real friends like Viber/Whatsapp – own smaller groups to organize where to eat for lunch
Facebook, Twitter is for curated content so you can show off how cool/smart you are to your fake friends.