Photo Credit: Shutterstock, BELGRADE – MAY 04, 2014 Popular social media website logos

In today’s digital age, social-media networks will always exist in one form or another because Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn – and all of the others – are just modern communications channels. The key is to understand the greater context.

Mass communication has existed ever since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450. Eventually, newspapers arose in the seventeenth century. Then, we had telegrams, radio, and television. Today, we have social media. It has always been about people using mediums to communicate with each other.

However, mediums rise, change, and fall. No one uses telegrams anymore. Radio emerged as the first way to get real-time news and listen to audio-based entertainment programs – but now many markets are dominated by right-wing talk shows because people listen to music elsewhere. In a similar way, newspapers were also mass-market mediums, but print (and especially online) publications have since devolved into locally-focused outlets or niche-based publications. The “Big Three” television networks dominated the media landscape until the rise of cable in the 1980s – television changed from a way to reach a mass audience to a way to reach a desired set of niche audiences based on the smaller audiences that watch specific channels.

Marketers and advertisers have always needed to adapt their strategies and tactics based on the changes in the mediums. The general trend in recent decades has been for general-interest channels to break up into niche-focused outlets. The same is true for social media.

As I have written, Facebook – and perhaps additional major social-media websites – will likely die and give rise to private social networks. Social channels are following the same pattern. As technology and other forces continue to breakup mass audiences into segments, social media will follow suit. MySpace has successfully rebranded itself a smaller, niche network for independent musicians. Twitter is a great channel for instant communications, marketing, and PR. Here are a few more niche networks (that would also interest digital marketers in specific sectors):

• Care2 – 16 million people who care about living a “green lifestyle”
• CafeMom – 1 million mothers (who are a very valuable B2C demographic)
• Kaboodle – A community of people who love to shop
• Gentlemint – Deemed “Pinterest for men,” it is all about guns, cars, and more
• ThirdAge – A social network for senior citizens
• BlogHer – Another network for women

In a marketing context, the key has always been simple: Go where the audience lies. Target audiences will always go from channel to channel as technologies and interests change – the important thing is to adjust as necessary. As far as social media, a given demographic may, for example, be on Facebook today but on Instagram or a niche network tomorrow. And that’s not bad.

As we have detailed, the key is to use an integrated social media and content strategy that will reach and convert prospects and customers wherever they happen to be:

1. How can we use web analytics to track our results?
2. Who is our target audience and where are they on social networks?
3. How should we optimize our social profiles?
4. How should we interact on those networks – and with what content?
5. What creative campaigns can we create?
6. How will we measure results and adjust accordingly?

If you use this strategic process, you will succeed regardless of the changes in the social-media landscape.