ComMetrics weekly review: 1-2-3, digi-minimalism!

This week I predict that you will be coming across several predictions for 2011, like those found in the My.ComMetrics 2011 trend briefing series. One prediction is that 2011 will be ringing in the next phase of web networking.

But what is the next phase? We started with blogging, then went to micro-blogging (e.g., Twitter or Identi.ca) and are now at the level of photo-sharing, which includes sharing photos of whatever is happening in our public sphere.

Is this really a good thing for you personally and for your business in particular, though? Read on to find out.

Article source: ComMetrics weekly review: 1-2-3, digi-minimalism!

1. Picture this: A full turkey dinner is out in 2011

Preparing a turkey dinner for 15 people is a big job. It starts with deciding who to invite, what side dishes to prepare and doing the shopping for it. Don’t even get me started on the cooking, and worse, cleaning up the kitchen afterwards.

Preparing such a feast takes a dash of creativity, culinary skills and planning. And in the end, grandma still might say that your brother served a juicier bird last year.

Preparing a white paper or a short eBook is similar. It takes planning, effort, creativity and hours to prepare it. But once you release it, all you can do is wait for the verdict:

1.ComMetrics eBook series #2010-01: Why benchmark social media (571 KB – pdf file)

2.ComMetrics eBook series #2010-02: What is your social media mission? (744 KB – pdf file)

Will people want to download your eBook? Will they like it?

Trend 1: 2011 will see the trend of fewer people investing the time required to prepare a turkey dinner, write a useful eBook or provide a thoughtful YouTube video continue.

2. From intel to stream of consciousness: Deterioration of the good life

Instead of preparing a five-course meal for a group of 10, most of us have decided to serve them a bowl of Campbell’s soup instead. Why not save yourself the trouble and just meet for a bowl of soup at a nearby restaurant?

Of course, most of your friends have mobile internet access on their smartphones, and if not, many restaurants offer wifi. Accordingly, several may take pictures of what they order, add notes, and instantly share it all with friends, for example with Foodspotting.

Here is another way to get the full enchilada with all of the trimmings:

3. ComMetrics eBook series #2010-03: Getting solution-driven answers (744 KB – pdf file)

When you go to a dinner or a coffeehouse to meet friends and share moments, how great do you feel when at least half are busy texting or updating their Facebook page?

Mind you, they are probably all doing this while having a conversation with you. Do you feel you are connecting?

Trend 2: Staying truly connected with those who share your public space (e.g., table, train compartment) is becoming increasingly challenging for those who feel pressured to share updates via social media channels as events unfold.

3. Is anybody listening?

As the above suggests, Twitter, Facebook and other services are used for rapid-fire sharing and communication. But this increasing stream of consciousness makes it more difficult for us to be heard or taken seriously.

Imagine 50 of your contacts each share 20 pictures from the weekend on a photo-sharing service. Do you have the time to look at them; do you even care?

The era of digi-minimalism means we have ever less time to read something from the beginning to the end or focus at the conversation happening in front of us.

In fact, a tweet or a status update with a URL to a research report is not an endorsement of trust.

God forbid that the person read the total of 35 pages, why should she… but as your grandma pointed out, the ingredients can make all the difference in the world if you want a juicy and tender bird to be served to your guests:

4. Raise your hand if you hate research. ComMetrics eBook series #2011-01 (783 KB – pdf file)

Trend 3:  Endorsing a story, product or e-book using a testimonial, tweet or Facebook wall update is becoming ever more meaningless, since people rarely if ever check the facts about research methodology used by the pollster or test the product  themselves before sharing how great it is. How can you trust such endorsements or god forbid base decisions on such information?

PS. And no, the issue is not if teenagers are using texting, chat and ever less e-mail compared to us dinosaurs. Instead, context matters, whereby e-mail is convenient to send an attachment to my insurance broker while Twitter or Foursquare may fit a situation’s social intensity more.

Instead, ask yourself,  how are we using these things.  Do they enrich our relationships, or make them more cluttered is the question here.

You have the power to control how, when and where you use technology. So for 2011, do yourself a favor and take charge or face the consequences.

If you like this post, please share it with your friends. How about asking them to comment after reading; I love to hear what people think!

Are you with me on these trends? Will people continue to update what they do and when whilst neglecting to connect with those sharing the public space? Are you starting to tune out yourself?  What do you think? Please leave a comment; the floor is yours!

Tagged as: business ethics, corporate governance, digi-minimalism, personal improvement, quality versus quantity, research methodology, risk management, sentiment analysis, social media best practice, social media ROI, time management, validity of research findings