The Future of Social Media
When thinking about the future in the 90s, what used to pass by your head? Inside mine, it was something like this:
Turns out we actually ended up like this, but in a very subtle and voluntary way.
At this point, I don’t think I have to explain to you how social media works, right bro?
When thinking about the future now, what do you see? Smarter houses? Flying cars? (Is it still a thing, btw?)
Anyway, how about social media? Are they still there? How do they work and which ones will wrap our heads up?
I know there’s a lot of questions, but the existence of social media in the future might have a massive impact on your brand itself. In rough words, I’d totally care about it if I were you, pal, starting now.
Are we together on this one?
To start thinking about it, I suggest here an almost obvious practice:
How did social media develop in the past 10 years?
Day by day these huge companies were getting more aware of our habits, preferences, and psychological triggers.
[I’m not here to foster a polemic, so don’t get me wrong, alright?]
The point here is to understand that social media is every day more customized and pleasant for us to use. I bet you rather boost an ad on Instagram than pay for a billboard down the road, right?
Although the social media fellas are doing a good job with ads and content customizing, for sure it isn’t done yet. It can make you wanna spend more time on it, maybe consume more what you see.
“The last Thursday you posted you were with your mom, you ordered salmon skin rolls for dinner. Let’s try offering you this sushi restaurant since you’re seeing your mom again on a working day.”
See, there are so many data possibilities to cross that I’d say it’s impossible to imagine them all.
Anyway, I’m afraid I’m talking obvious stuff so far — hope at least it made you think about it. (:
So let’s go outside the box a little, shall we?
Let’s think about customizing beyond ads and posts (and stop thinking of a mug with your name on it, it’s not that).
Try to remember the feelings you have when receiving a gift from someone, like an aunt on Christmas eve.
First, you feel so glad because the person in question cared about getting you something, it’s a really thoughtful gesture.
But right after it, you start focusing on the gift itself.
“Boy, it might be something that I’ll have to get rid of or be forced to live with. I bet it’s something so not me.”
I know. Mean, but mostly true.
Then, imagine it was something you really wanted but didn’t even know you did. So you get even happier and more grateful, since it was an unexpectedly great experience.
Now, imagine social media getting to do this to you. Imagine small portions of unexpected-good-Christmas-gifts feelings per day.
Since your phone for sure knows more about you than your aunt — than yourself too, maybe — we’re not that far from getting it.
But I’m not talking exclusively of ads or posts that can make you feel that way. Since we’re outside the box already, let’s picture something crazily different.
How far can it get?
The year is 2035. The material world and the digital one are so integrated that you can’t even imagine them being apart anymore.
How does social media work here?
Oh man, I’m no psychic. The possibilities are so many and so intense that my expectations are already high. And, of course, the questions are unstoppable. So from now on it is mostly about having our imagination to guide us. ☁️
Hey, this just gave me an idea. Wanna play a game?
I will give an idea of how I imagine it will be. And then you go, ok?
“You can visually simulate any space around you. It can be extended to odours and touches as well. So technically you can be anywhere anytime. Long-distance contact has never been so real.”
Ugh! So cliché! I think you can do better here, right? So your turn now! 🤖
