iPhone

As you’d expect there’s quite a few mentions of niche networks, word-of-mouth, Twitter and mobile computing in TrendsSpotting’s latest Twitter-ized version of its 2010 predictions.

 

On the mobile front, I’m done with saying it won’t be the “year of mobile” again. I think it’s now safe to say that the mobile interface should be pervasive for brands. The excuses for not having consistent communications across any platform are no longer accepted.

 

One of the other quotes that stood out was John Batelle’s prediction that the microblogging interface would change and “look nothing like a microblog.” I’d guess that has  a lot to do with the interface disappearing in some respects. By that I mean interfaces will be accessed through all sorts of services, applications and embedded widgets. And in a sense I think it’s already changed pretty drastically.

 

Think about how you access Twitter these days. I bet that’s changed over the last year or so. There’s all sorts of third-party services that let you circumvent the Twitter interface completely. In fact, between Listiti (Google Alerts for Twitter Lists) FriendFeed and Tweetie, it’s rare that I see Twitter’s web interface. Perhaps a better prediction is one that describes the “vanishing microblogging” interface.

 

The other thing that almost everyone seems to allude to is how social media will become more entrenched in the inner-workings of companies – from their external communication practices to the way business systems are built, designed and deployed. 

That last part is why you hear so much about “social business,” which is a really tough thing to distill into something folks can understand.

If you stray too far to the technical, toolset, or process side, you sound like a business process re-engineering (BPR) evangelist. Jump over too much to the “social media” side and you quickly run the risk of being categorized as too fluffy or someone trying to socialize things that really don’t need to be social.

This is where you insert legacy systems, ERP or any other late 90s business technology or application set. You see, those systems and processes still run the back offices of most large companies today.

Transforming that infrastructure and those corporate processes will take much more than toolsets or well-planned social media strategies. It’ll take generational diversity, proper governance programs and just time…lots of time in some cases.

I guess what I struggle with is the transformative rah-rah that comes so neatly packaged inside of “social business” discussions. It seems the focus increasingly starts with the assumption that every process or line of business needs a social media or social computing stamp. Folks aren’t bashful about defining the burning platform — often rushing out to buy it, build it and implement it. 

In 2010, I think you’ll see social tools and technologies de-emphasized, which in turn will spark a renewed focus on the core business. You’ll be pressed to help your clients look holistically at their business, not just through the social media lens. The agencies, consultants and practitioners that pitch just tools, technology and 2.0 will be the minority — and rightfully so.