The social media revolution started to gain traction in 2003 and 2004. Friendster launched in 2002 and MySpace launched in 2003. Facebook launched in 2004 and was opened up to the general public in 2006. YouTube launched in 2005. Since then, social media has revolutionized our world in countless ways. The media landscape is a shadow of its former reality. Talented content creators have been endowed with global audiences, spreading unconventional voices and controversial ideas. The process has brought down governments and fueled political movements from Tunisia to Hong Kong, and from Iran to America. But in the final analysis, the social media has only just begun. We will see as many innovations and opportunities in the future as we have seen already, probably more.

The opportunities with social media are a function of human stories. Compelling stories from around the world will find global audiences in minutes and the public reactions will fuel social change into the future. The sad fact is that the Internet inevitably highlights extreme views. Moderate voices disappear amidst the noise. Controversial voices get noticed. This has already made our politics more toxic than ever before, and it is sure to get worse in the years to come. The other problem is that the Internet has so much content that no human being could possibly digest it all. As a result, we instinctively seek the view points we agree with, resulting in an explosion of conspiracy theories and self-fulfilling prophecies.

Over the past 10 years, many companies have leveraged the power of social media, but many have paid a heavy price as a result of poor or misguided messaging. It’s a marketing minefield for most businesses and Trend Mastery can help. We started accumulating social media case histories and success stories back in 2006. We have presented these use cases for dozens of clients around the world, providing guidance and inspiration to participants, young and old. If you’re struggling with your social media strategy, let us apply our methodology to your business and the opportunities that await you.

Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a regular keynote speaker and can cover social media at your upcoming event. Contact us to check availability for your event date.