First off, let me start by saying Happy New Year! One of my resolutions this year is to blog consistently, so if you see me slacking off please do not hesitate to send me a message that kicks me in butt. It will be much appreciated
So last week I saw a tweet by @surinat on this new music service called MOG and how it is better than Spotify. Naturally I had to go check out this article about why MOG was superior and of course shared it with some friends of mine. I got to talking with a buddy and we both came to the conclusion that the rapidly evolving social world is quite annoying.
Just a few months ago we were on this Spotify craze and now there is a new phenomenon out? I haven't had any real issues with Spotify and it has become a staple in my everyday life. So now that there is this new and improved service out, does that mean I am supposed to switch over again? Well, I have not quite made the switch yet and not sure if I actually will but it really got me thinking about the whole social media revolution and how fast things move.
We jumped from Friendster to Myspace to Facebook so quickly and people (including myself) were going crazy trying to find a Google+ invite. It has gotten to the point where you really have no idea what the new service or network is, you just know you have to be a part of it. I understand that companies should always push to create innovative products and/or service and that this social boom has opened up so much opportunity for basically anybody to find a way to succeed, but it's starting to become quite the popularity contest. Just because you are on some new social network, I HAVE to get an account also. People do not want to get left behind, even if it's for a social network or service that they have absolutely no use for.
So there's the annoying - always having to keep adding new services and networks to my list. But if you look at what is happening, you start to understand the power of social proof. It is always explained by social media experts that users are more inclined to buy a product or service if it is "recommended" by a friend. Well just like how companies use social proof to help sell products, these new networks and services begin building a user base through the same concept. "So and so has MOG so I need to get off of Spotify and move on to this new service" or "everybody seems to be talking about this Google+ thing, I have to find out what all of this buzz is about!"
The social revolution annoys the crap out of me sometimes because I'd rather just stick to one thing that is working well for me but at the same time, it provides proof for why it is becoming such a big deal. People like you and I want and need to keep up with our friends (if not get there before them) and knowing that our friends use or support a certain product or service, makes us want to try it that much more.
Thank you for reading Why The Social Media Revolution Is Annoying Yet Powerful by Anand Patel. Please feel free to follow and engage with me on Twitter.