Attention Small Biz – Get Ready for New Technology & Social Media Tools

I come as a messenger, and I come in peace.

Please remember this as I now announce to you that there is yet more stuff you’re going to have to learn about, adopt and maybe even embrace in the world of technology and social media.  There’re new search engines, communications platforms, gadgets and an endless array of applications on the horizon, some of which you won’t be able to ignore.

I know, I know…

You already attempted Twitter, and the endeavor involved three simple steps:  open account, get confused, abandon quietly.  Maybe you can ditto that cycle for the blog you were briefly committed to for your business.  You can’t even remember the password for your LinkedIn profile, and you’ve decreed Facebook a mind zap for adolescents.  Heck, you may even secretly harbor the opinion that texting is a misuse of opposable thumbs.

Nonetheless, as the messenger it’s my job to provide fair warning that there is more to come.  It’s a Web 2.0 world we live in (yes, there was a Web 1.0, and 3.0 is on its way; at least the chronology is easy to follow), and technology is evolving at he speed of, well, technology.  You’d be well served to invest some brain power on the current iterations; it’ll make for a good prep course for the next round.

So you know how to brace, here’s a quick list of some up-and-comers.  Trust me, there’s more where these came from, but let’s ease into this…

Google Wave:  real-time communication platform from Google; synthesizes and aggregates a bevy of work functions, social media feeds and core communications functions; created to be a one-stop command center; will have its own lexicon of terms and icons; in previews now–coming later this year

Mobile readiness:  setting your sights on standard sites is no longer enough; you’ve got to join the move to mobile technology; plan now for communications and functions that are mobile-device friendly, including site redesign and payment capabilities

Hulu desktop:  the new Hulu desktop-ready interface is not so much about the joys of TV watching combined with computer usage; this newbie spotlights the reality that TV and Internet are melding even more; we’re watching and getting entertained in new, more definable ways—a fact biz people and communicators cannot ignore

Group mentality:  email becomes less necessary as the Twitter model infiltrates the workplace in customized platforms such as Yammer.com or socialcast.com; this allows for real-time interconnectivity within defined environments; we’re breeding new generations of employees attuned to communicate and percolate via microblogs

Even if you averted your eyes or skimmed over those items, your avoidance won’t lead to the list’s disappearance.  This stuff isn’t going anywhere, and if you don’t keep up, you may not be going anywhere either.

But hey, I’m just the messenger.
Thanks!