Marketing in Uncharted Territory

How do we 'sell' an idea of the social media future?

The social internet is changing.

We're turning our backs on the established micro-blogging platforms, the places that are feeling less platform and more Big Brother day-by-day.

It won't happen overnight, but it has begun.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend MarketingLand. Besides learning that being a Zoom DJ is a job, my biggest takeaway was that no one in this space really realises what's on the horizon.

We look to the future and think we'll have to adapt to new technologies, new platforms, but the horizon is visible and coming fast with more and more users turning to new social platforms. Decentralised, democratic, open.

As a marketer, social media manager, brand expert, content creator etc it can be very scary to face change. I'm guilty of it. We become deer in headlights, frozen and waiting to see who moves first. Shaking at the lack of tried-and-tested data.

The new vision of social media, the social web or Fediverse, is unexplored territory.

Sure, there's a handful of brands there (mostly through Threads) and a lot of individuals, but good luck finding a marketing guide on how to build a presence there.

It's too new. That's scary.

But, reframe your thinking for a second, you can be a pioneer. An early-adopter, a voice of guidance to new explorers, someone who helps shape a space into its potential.

Maybe that's too ambitious for some people. But for those who have the itch to make their work mean something, to do something good with their skills, this is the opportunity of a generation.

Imagine shaping the web, imagine marketing the mobile phone, imagine being at the forefront of social change. There's potential for huge reward.

But it's not just the personal reward of helping shape something, it's the preparation and education as an industry.

There will come a day when a client, a colleague, your boss, or just the trends of the internet force you to ask yourself, "What is the idea of new, open social media? How do I join it? How do I grow there?"

You need to start preparing now. I promise, it's coming sooner than you think.