Idealware has just released its latest report, “Exploring Cutting Edge Social Media” in an attempt to answer the questions “when should an organization use new social media tools and channels, why, and for what use?” That’s quite a tall order to fill, really. I applaud Idealware’s attempt to respond to the question that every digital media consultant is repeatedly asked:
“Which new social media channels and tools are really worth investing our time in?”
The best parts of the report deal with why an organization should use “cutting edge” social media, determining the best time in the life cycle of a social media channel to adopt new tools and channels, and descriptions of some of the newest sites. One note: I’m not a fan of the term “cutting edge,” and from now on I’ll use “new and developing” in its place.
When and why? Idealware suggests that organizations consider new and developing social media if they want to reach a narrow or specialized segment, to share specific types of content (articles only, slide shows only, etc.), and if it is mission-related. Adoption, however, depends on organizational culture. Even the most appropriate new tools and media can be sidelined if the organization culture is slow to adopt new technology.
At what point in the life cycle of a social media channel should an organization adopt it? Great question, and Idealware offers a stellar explanation, based on Gartner’s “hype cycle” of technology (see diagram below). Idealware suggests trying it out either during the early adoption period (ed note: possibly offering early adoption advantage when/if a channel gains a large user base) or after the tool has shown its usefulness. I couldn’t agree more. There is always a lot of hype around a new tool or social media channel, and organizations are understandably wary of investing energy into one, only to see it die (RIP Posterous). Near the beginning of this report, Idealware strongly urges organizations considering adopting new and developing tools to consider both what the audience is likely to use and organizational SMART communication goals.
The tools! The shiny new tools! Oh yes, there’s a lot of space devoted to the tools. There is also a case study or two in each section highlighting an organization that has used one of these tools successfully. Idealware reviews them by category:
- Social media that engages youth: Pheed, Tumblr, Snapchat, and Instagram
- Geolocation and mobile apps: FourSquare, Moveable Feast, Google’s Field Trip
- Tools that curate content streams: Reddit, StumbleUpon, Pinterest
I personally love that the report also includes a section on that curate content streams, such as Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Pinterest, because finding content “through the noise,” so to speak is a constant challenge for time-strapped social media staffers. A personal favorite of mine for doing just that is Scoop.it. I also often use Twitter to listen for great content based on hashtags.
- Connecting locally: DeHood (for neighborhoods) and blasterous (send local update blasts)
- Connecting internationally: Qzone (China), NetLog (Europe, young audiences), Orkut (India and Brazil). While some of these are not new and developing tools, they are important for connecting internationally.
At the beginning of the report, Idealware states that these tools are best used for specific uses, like sharing multimedia. To support this, the report devotes a lot of time to photo, video, and audio sharing tools.
The discussion about when to adopt these tools is never-ending, and this report begins to offer a framework for the “why, when, and what” of new and developing social media. You may download the report from Idealware here.