What’s next after Twitter and Facebook?
In the thought-provoking PaidContent.org post “Building A Social Network In A Facebook And Twitter World,” Geoff Cook posits that his startup company, myYearbook, is poised to be a winner in the “stream wars.”
He makes the case that Twitter’s and Facebook’s social-media dominance won’t last forever. Twitter isn’t for everyone (although it is, he says, “the morning paper.”) Facebook, on the other hand, is for everyone, but “it can’t be everything to everyone.” Hence the need for social-network diversity if we’re to get the most from the medium.
At first blush, myYearbook seems to be a mashup of the “chatter” of Twitter, the multimedia enhanced streams of Facebook, the network/meet-new-people aspect of LinkedIn and the teeny-bopper feel of MySpace (myYearbook’s tagline is “Friends. Flirt. Fun.”) It has yet to be seen what kind of implications a platform like this might have on business, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Along the way, however, Cook gives marketers like us a primo takeaway. His team surveyed users of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and myYearbook on why they used the various services. The four graphs he shares are invaluable to marketers trying to figure out — or fine-tune — their multi-platform strategy. If only the last one were LinkedIn …
Regardless, as emerging platforms like myYearbook throw their hats into the ring, it’s interesting to consider the social streams we use now and how they will evolve.
What’s your take? Is Twitter your morning newspaper, as it is for Geoff Cook? What do you foresee as the next generation of social media?
Photo credit, iStock
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Tags: Facebook, mashup, platforms, streams, twitter
Categories: Ideas in Action, Social Networks
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Posted by Alconcalcia on February 2nd, 2010 at 11:22 am
I think I can safely say that something called ‘MyYearbook’, whilst possibly proving popular in the states, will never catch on in the UK as it’s not a familiar phrase. I know Facebook isn’t either, but it got there first and there are only so many social networks people can be in surely if they are not to spread themselves too thinly? I cite the demise of ‘Myspace’ as a regular virtual watering hole for me, despite it being the first social networking account I had.
Posted by What’s next after Twitter and Facebook? | The Perfect Storm Team on February 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
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Posted by Erin Bury on February 2nd, 2010 at 11:40 am
This is a great question, and one that keeps arising. Yes, Twitter and Facebook are giants, but they can’t be everything to everyone. Everyone has a particular area of interest, and a specific community of people they want to engage, whether for personal or professional reasons. I think niche networking sites are going to be the next big thing – so everyone can build a relevant network of people with the same interests. It’s just a matter of which niches and which sites will rise above all the noise in the space right now.
Posted by Joe Buhler on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
To avoid being overwhelmed by the stream will require new tools to tap into what is of particular personal interest. LinkedIn is already a major business oriented network and even Business Week and WSJ.com are trying to create communities around business interest. A challenge – as mentioned for travel related networks – is to attract critical mass to be successful at monetizing the idea.
Posted by Anthony Juliano on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I think niche social networks have a lot of potential. Facebook is kind of like the broadcast networks–trying to be “everything to everyone,” as you suggest–and niche networks are more like cable, giving users a la carte choices that they can combine as they like. I have serious doubts about Twitter’s long-term viability. I may be proven wrong on that one, but it just seems way too labor intensive for anyone who’s doing real work. (And I know there are a million examples out there that prove me wrong, but that’s my honest take.)
Posted by Doug on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:55 pm
myyearbook.com looks lame to me, so why should I care to believe the creator’s alleged data?
Posted by Kim Lovo on February 2nd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I think pokerstreams are the next big thing, special sites where onlinegamers can follow all their friends winnings and losses and see where they play right now and what hands and pots they are involved in.
Posted by Merritt Colaizzi on February 2nd, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Erin, Joe, Anthony, Kim: great ideas! Keep them coming, folks. I feel another post coming on, featuring your ideas…
Posted by Timothy Post on February 2nd, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Niche social networks and Facebook are not mutually exclusive. As we enter a new generation in Facebook’s life post-Open Graph API in April, there will be an opportunity for guys like Geoff Cook to build niche networks “on top of” Facebook. Facebook simply wants to be your home base.
If you want to guage just how forward thinking and aware Geoff Cook is, ask him what are myYearbook’s plans to use FB’s Open Graph API. His answer will tell you everything about his company’s chances for success.
Posted by Web Users (especially in Social Media) are Migratory, but behaviors are Persistant #SM #WTEngage on February 2nd, 2010 at 5:22 pm
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Posted by Timothy Post on February 3rd, 2010 at 12:03 am
Delete the Twitter reposts from your Comment section. What value do I, the reader, derive, from seeing that 20 people reposted your blog post. Let them repost but keep your comment section clean.
Posted by Syncing your Twitter account with your LinkedIn profile | Flackrabbit: PR Flack / Writer / Geek on February 3rd, 2010 at 5:43 am
[...] What’s next after Twitter and Facebook? (smartblogs.com) [...]
Posted by Lisa H on February 3rd, 2010 at 9:23 am
Checked out myYearbook. Just another social site. Nothing new.
Posted by samdon on February 12th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Well, look how MySpace faded away. Soon enough another site with come up that will make people deter from Facebook and Twitter. What's interesting is seeing how these sites add things to “re-invent” themselves with layouts, applications and such, to keep users on and extend their longevity. For example, Facebook Games. Kids go crazy over that. Let's see how many on here admit to being addicted to FB games. lol
Posted by john on May 29th, 2010 at 4:45 am
myyearbook will never take place of myspace,facebook,or twitter i know i have all four and you can not make your twitter,facebook,or myspace status go to myyearbook. you can only make your myyearbook status go to facebook,myspace,and twitter.you always have to log into myyearbook and only people that has no life will do that.and it true their will be other sites that will knock down the facebook,twitter,myspace,and almost make myyearbook as low as tagged on members.which i have a tagged account as well lol.and myspace has not faded away like you think people are just on on the ban wagon of facebook and twitter that all social networks are .