Disclaimer: These are predictions… they are not facts.. are these things likely to occur?
Maybe, Maybe Not.
These are simply possibilities of things that may, or may not occur.
These are personal opinions mixed with current industry insights to imagine what could be.
So…
let’s play “pretend”.
(note: Apple had not made “wrist tablet” announcement at the time this article was written in 2012)
1. Brand Verifications
Verification of the “Brand” will dictate the most needed activity for a brand in 2013, some will listen now, some will pay too much money for domains later.
2.Facebook Continues To Be The Social Network
Facebook will continue to get the buzz and the budgets as they become more of a central connection point in our lives.
3. LinkedIn Integrations
LinkedIn will continue its B2B dominance of the workplace by allowing neutral integration of Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Google + as the social media Switzerland.
4. LinkedIn Integrations Backfire
This backfires temporarily as users connect personal social media to their LinkedIn work profile and some Christmas party photos show up “tagged” under a brand name profile page on LinkedIn. This… despite 3 warning screens from LinkedIn.
“This may reveal personal information, are you sure you want to connect Facebook to LinkedIn?”
5. Google+ Keep Getting Relevant
Google + will become more integrated in Google Search as Google and Facebook compete to the center of our social universe.
Despite the fact, people search for people not things on Facebook. Google will integrate the people part more into search. It will work, well. People will be referencing 2 year old “Google + is a Ghost town articles”, at their peril.
6. Bing Local Integrates Facebook
Bing Local begins to tie Facebook into Microsoft Mobile, Facebook tries a different angle and fails ridiculously at privacy again. Bing hits a homerun with the Auto GPS market.
7. Zynga, Facebook, LinkedIn, Apple Create Privacy Fence Spiral of Death
Zynga Game posts from Facebook games end up accidentally spamming LinkedIn posts of fellow employees, creating landmark case for privacy vs. time management in the workplace. Apple gets caught doing a similar thing, debuts new iWatch and everyone forgets.
8. The World Discovers SEO
Someone like @Late_show or @jimmyfallon figures out SEO and actually has someone who can explain it on and the SEO world rejoices. Brand related Spam increases.
9. Twitter Campaigns Continue, Twitter Campaign Spam Continues
@Wolfgangbuzz works with @steveplunkett from @Rockfish to create digital campaign using the hashtag #nomnomnom, which raises a bunch of money and awareness for @nokidhungry by some wonderful and thoughtful brand sponsoring the # of occurrences of the hashtag during a 24 period by the foodie, media, pr, advertising seo and social media community similar to #beatcancer at #bwe10.
The campaign ends up creating a system where kids are taught where to find shelter using social media and search while having a free nutritious meal. Of course… sponsored by some major #nomnomnom food brand… which uses #nomnomnom to catapult to the top of the #recipe awareness food chain.
10. Brands Start to GET Apps
Branded apps will become technologically better, more secure, more personal yet how those apps utilize and integrate with public APIs will be the real challenge.
11. Privacy Dies Again
Security, Security, Security or is it Privacy, Privacy, Privacy – we still can’t figure it out as credit card companies tie in purchasing behavior into social media.
12. Location Continues To Fly Under Radar
Location, Location, Location – Where are you?, What are you connected to where you are at? – Where are you going next? What you need and who has the best price closest to you where you have coupons or loyalty points, Where is the one app to rule them all?
(Google Wallet connection with G+ late 2013/2014?)
13. Too Much Social, Yet More and More Social
Overload occurs as we wonder why we need a Twitter @steveplunkett, a Facebook (facebook.com/Plunkett), Google+ (+steve Plunkett) but we continue to login and use them every day, more and more as Google and Twitter work more closely to fend off Facebook and Bing as they try and grab more of our digital attention in 2013.
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