“It’s just advertising!” It is the only phrase that comes to mind when my clients ask me “How do Social Networks work?” More and more I realize that we are doing the same work that we did years ago when we worked in traditional advertising.

Historically, over the last century, advertising has sought to build corporate reputations through branding and image recognition without directly appealing to sales. The return on investment was subordinated to the construction of its brand. Social networks act quite similarly in the sense that the medium is the message. If customers are solely looking for ROI, then social media is not the first place to look. If taken advantage of, it may be the right place to get your message across and help gain exposure.

Traditional advertising agencies are in the business of developing campaigns to sell a client’s products and services by purchasing advertising space in local newspapers, radio, television, and magazines. Your creative is then placed on the platforms that are most likely to attract the attention of the buyer. Agency types often reflect: the agency brings the client, the art director hits the client with creativity, and the account executive picks their pockets. Well, the dynamics of advertising have changed dramatically. Partly due to the economy and partly due to the new digital medium.

Today, Social Networks try to enter the field of traditional advertising, although it is not so well defined.

Closing the gap. My predictions:

Here are my predictions for the world of social media and how the line between traditional and new media will eventually blur.

1. Websites already represent your business in the online space in a similar way to yellow page ads or a company brochure. They are replacing physical stores and becoming the face of an organization.

2. SEO, Search PPC and the ever-changing search engine algorithms will soon have to come to terms with each other and we will have to pay for everything. Just as newspaper and TV ads are now segregated by location or business, in a few years the web will be a more expensive environment as more searchers find new sources of income.

3. Social media platforms will increasingly be targeted at specific audiences that will be integrated with mobile apps and users will have to pay to get top places and views.

4. Email marketing will completely replace direct mail. The cost of printing and distributing will continue to drive sellers and customers to use email marketing and reach target markets through social media.

5. Facebook will offer businesses more opportunities for growth by opening up its database to select marketers and corporations. Eventually, you will have to pay for Facebook and its plugin services. The amount will be nominal, but the revenue generated by Facebook will be astronomical to keep costs down for consumers.

6. The Voice of the People will be a stronger motivating factor in purchasing decisions. Shoppers will rely more on shoppers’ previous experiences with brands, products, and services. More shopping advice sites will be all the rage and people will search social media for user experience and recommendations.

7. LinkedIn will play an even bigger role in creating business connections, sharing information, and conducting business. The lunch meeting will be replaced by video conferencing. Why drive when you can communicate via computer in the comfort of your office?

8. Twitter will be the medium chosen by the breaking press. However, it is already getting cluttered with too many mundane posts. I predict a Twitter downfall in which people will trust Twitter less as a commercial vehicle and more as a pure medium of verbal rants, entertainment, and sensational viral posts.

9. Blogs will continue to be an important means of communicating views and expressing opinions. They will become the new medium of publication and will play an even more essential role in promoting products and services.

Conclusion:

Social media will continue to grow in popularity and will play a greater role in our purchasing decisions and influence our opinions. Of course, traditional media will play a role in our lives, but to little effect. As social media matures, I predict it will have a bigger impact than traditional advertising. People will continue to trust social media for their purchasing decisions and to influence their clothing.