The True Colors of Social Media
Social media is abuzz over the new fourth edition of The Conversation Prism (TCP). Over the years, this vibrant visual map has captured the landscape of social media by highlighting the moments and milestones that defined the social time. It was designed to show brands the big picture in social media and open their eyes to new social opportunities beyond the most popular sites. In addition to serving as a marketing tool, its bright spectrum design has made it a work of art that’s graced office walls and convention halls to become a social icon. LinkedIn.com featured the new fourth format to offer a closer look at the latest version.
The Conversation Prism is the only research-based chart that spans the spectrum of social media from its earliest days. The original was launched in August 2008, while version 2.0 debuted in March 2009 and the third version came out in October 2010. Two-and-a-half years later, the fourth format has finally hit the Web.
The Prism’s popularity is based on its value as a real-world, real-time social media snapshot. It groups networks by the way they’re used in everyday marketing to both inform and inspire all who view it. It includes leading platforms and up-and-coming networks to show who’s shaping the state of social media and also portrays how the social Web is currently evolving.
Since its inception, The Conversation Prism has proven its worth again and again. It offers a holistic view of social media to aid in the development of social strategies, as well as helps marketers prove the value of social media to hesitant executives and inspires teams to create newer and better social experiences.
The Conversation Prism’s name is filled with literal and figurative meaning. Its literal subtext lies in the fact that a “prism” separates white light into a spectrum of colors, with this white light serving to spotlight streams of social dialog and literally bring that content to light. In a figurative sense, the name refers to the way we filter information through a particular prism to correspond to a point of view.
The new fourth edition brings some of the most important changes so far and features a brand-new design. By adding 111 services and eliminating 122, this latest version tapers the graph’s focus to suit the ever-growing group of social supporters. Some of the new categories include Social Marketplace and Service Networking, which have replaced former categories like Virtual Worlds and sCRM.
While there have been major changes through the years and the versions, the most important have been in the ways that networks are used. Ironically, today’s trend toward smaller and niche networks has come just as the visual social Web has become ubiquitous. For a look at the latest version of The Conversation Prism, click here.
Keep up with the social media evolution. Contact MDG today at 561-338-7797 or visit www.mdgsolutions.com.
MDG is a full-service advertising agency and one of Florida’s top creative ad agencies. With offices in Boca Raton, FL and New York, NY, MDG’s core capabilities include branding, logo design, digital marketing, print advertising, mobile marketing, email marketing, media planning and buying, TV and radio, outdoor, newspaper, video marketing, Web design and development, content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). To stay on top of the latest trends in marketing and advertising, contact MDG today at 561-338-7797. To learn how a picture can be worth both a thousand words and millions of impressions, see “4 Tips for Using Images in Your Brand’s Social Media Marketing.”