Do-It-Yourself Social Media Day

For Social Media Day, I chose to attend the largest event in Los Angeles.  It turned out to be at a small storefront restaurant (closed for the event) and was more about promoting a particular non-profit organization than creating a forum for social media enthusiasts to interact.  Needless to say, it was a disappointment.  Apparently some other social media events were more on-target and successful, but this one was nothing but a disappointment.   My fellow social media enthusiast Andrew Tarr (of AndrewTarrFanClub on YouTube) had attended the event with me, and we quickly decided this event wouldn't prove to be very productive.

Instead, we went to a casual coffee house/restaurant and had our own personal Social Media Day MeetUp. Our primary topic of discussion turned to the rapid pace of technological change and the corresponding shift in personal communication.  We agreed that the society is still in the formative stages in the development of social media / social networking.  The challenge for anyone delving into this world is to plan a strategy in a constantly shifting landscape.  As Andrew noted, where once common career advice encouraged individuals to visualize where they wished their lives and careers to be in three or five years, those working in social media, or in a field that employs social media skills, are faced with the challenge of planning for a future that is highly unpredictable.   Where will social media be in five years?  After all, YouTube is only five years old.  Twitter in 2006.  The iPhone came out in June of 2007. Facebook is the grand old man in this group - it began in early 2004 as a service for college students.  The task of anticipating opportunities in the future is a tricky proposition for those of us interested and active in the social media world.  We also agreed that trying to ride that wave is mind-blowing.

How do you think social media will evolve? We'd love your feedback!  Click below to comment!