PR Word of the Week #6: Post social media revolution

Welcome to PR Word of the Week #6. It has been over a month since I started this weekly lesson of public relations words and concepts.

This week I thought I would explore a new concept in social media, the concept of the post social media revolution.

When social media first emerged, there were concerns of privacy. People worried social media would be a haven for stalkers and pedophiles. Those same people, today, update their Facebook status every minute to announce they have eaten an apple.

The revolution of social media has come and gone. We see the benefit, and companies and individuals have embrassed the tools that allow us to connect with people around the world who share our ideas.

However, this revolution is over, we won, we overthrew the skeptics. So now what? The post social media revolution.

Post social media revolution

(pōstˈsōSHəlˈmēdēəˌrevəˈlo͞oSHən)
noun

Geoff Livingston explains the post social media revolution.

This is the era when the dust settles. It’s the time when consolidation occurs, and best practices are refined.

Traditional media companies and new competitors are entering through acquisition or innovation upon the old forms of social media. Social media experts seem a little tired, rehashing the same lessons within the “new” innovations.

Consider that the greatest innovations and progress this year in U.S. social media have come from Google+, Spotify and Instagram (hat tip: Allyson Kapin). None of these are truly new form factors. They play off of and better predecessors like Facebook, Napster and Camera+. That’s not to belittle the innovation that these tools have brought to the market.

But there are no new form factors, and no major revelations about the conversation anymore. People are still people. And many of them young and old have experimented with social media. Your grandma uses Facebook now (1/3 of 50-64 year olds now use social networks).

Social media has grown up. It may not grow much bigger. Growth rates are now in the single digits year over year within the U.S. adult population. Conversational media is now finding itself in a bit of a routine.

A revolution isn’t complete without some sort of fighting. In this case I welcome verbal fighting through healthy debates.

What do you think of this post social media revolution? Please leave a comment with your opinion and let’s discuss this issue.