I am starting to think marketers and astrologers have more in common
than meets the eye. We are both asked to stargaze and look into the
future on a regular basis. Every year around this time, I see similar
emails from clients and reporters alike, all wanting to know what 2014
holds in store. Luckily, I don’t need the stars to predict what comes
next because technology always leaves telltale signs. Here are the Top 5
Digital Trends you can look forward to for 2014.
1. An Identity Based Eco-System. As a graduate
student at the University of Texas at Austin, I did my thesis on
Twitter. (No, it wasn’t in 140 characters.) One of the pivotal questions
of my thesis was this: Why do people use social networking sites at
all? My incorrect hypothesis was that people wanted to connect to each
other. My research revealed that this was only the secondary reason. The
primary reason was to showcase their own identity. I’ll pause while you
give a moment’s thought to the narcissism of society. Then, I’ll urge
you to think deeper. We, as humans, have always had an innate need to
express ourselves. By that very expression, we further our identity.
Smart companies, such as Facebook (with their timeline feature) and
Amazon (with their personalized recommendations) are already taking
advantage of what I refer to as an Identity Based Eco-System. The
digital world of tomorrow, be it consumer or business, will revolve
around the individual identity. The companies who want to take advantage
of this trend will proactively create ways to harness the idea that
showcasing our identity is the most human and primary of desires.
2. Content Curation and Aggregation. Remember the movie You’ve Got Mail,
with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? It was a blockbuster hit and romantic
comedy at its best. But, they can never create a remake of that movie.
Why? Because no one is that excited to receive email anymore! We have
gone from an information hungry to an information overloaded society.
However, we still require information on a daily basis – now more than
ever. Hence, we see the rise of websites such as Pinterest, Quora, and
List.ly. Pinterest is technically nothing more than an organization
system for images which already exist, but because we desperately need
that system for aggregation, it is a success.
3. Video = Device Agnostic. When was the last time
you uttered the phrase “I am watching video on television.” Chances are
you may watch a video on TV, but you may just as easily be watching it
on your tablet or smart phone. Video continues to become device
agnostic. (Much to my chagrin, my husband takes advantage of this fact
by pausing the episode on TV only to continue it on his tablet at the
restaurant. I’ll save the net etiquette for spouses article for later.)
From a business standpoint, online video will continue to play a bigger
role in the digital space.
4. The 4 Screen Revolution. The last Super Bowl
showcased this trend better than any other event. While people watched
the game on TV, they were checking their work email on the computer for
the next day, tweeting about the game on their tablet, and texting their
friends at the same time. The number of screens we are used to will
only increase with time. When I say screen, I don’t necessarily mean a
solid box. Google glass would also qualify as a screen. Any surface
(tangible or not) which you interact with can be considered a screen.
Look for advertising to innovate as the available surfaces, on which to
interact, increase.
5. Social Literacy Skills Required. Social media
literacy will be required by companies for most jobs, but especially for
the C-Suite. It expands beyond understanding social platforms to making
the digital landscape an inherent part of your professional repertoire.
As a skill set, social media literacy will be divided into two areas –
personal and organizational. On the personal level, professionals will
have to know how to create content, curate relevant information, and
connect people and resources. On an organizational level, agility (in
thought and strategy), the ability to aggregate multiple points of data
for decision making, and authenticity (the real deal, not the
perception) will be required.
As I gaze into my digital crystal ball, one thing is certain. 2014 is sure to be an exciting year on the digital front.
Article curated from Forbes Magazine
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