Highlight, Ban. jo and Roamz are names that you might hear in the near future in social media. Why? Because they’ve introduced a brand-new category of social networking called social local mobile (SoLoMo) networks. And by ‘networks’ we are talking about ‘apps, ’ because they’re mostly used on your mobile devices like the Android and iOS platforms.
The social local mobile apps allow you to easily connect with people in your local proximity. You talk and ask others for lunch, check in to close-by events, or just inform others of how much you frequent your favorite local hotspots. Highlight is provided on the iOS, while Ban. jo and Roamz are for both the Android and iOS.
If you’ve noticed any trends in digital marketing recently, it’s that everyone is going mobile. In fact, mobile usage is predicted to overpass PC internet usage in the next year, and everyone wants to be included. While other apps only create a method to access your social networks via phone, these social local mobile So-Lo-Mo apps processes in a distinctive way by combining user’s location service with their core services.
This could both be exceptionally successful, and exceptionally harmful. As mobile and data sharing technology develops, the capabilities and features of these social local mobile SoLoMo networks have increased in extraordinary ways. The problem is with geotracking, which is largely unfamiliar with people. It means that apps are allowed to collect your personal information, and then sell that information to either companies or people you haven’t met and will never meet. In other words, hyper-local social networks are both good and bad. They target users for better advertisements with the risk of leaking your personal information. The latter brings about a concern on the ethics of such a technology.
Can new social local mobile SoLoMo social networks keep moving forward like it has, or will your personal information be too much to risk and lead to its downfall? Time is the only answer.
Path – The Sgrouples of Mobile Social Network
Path is a social networks that’s completely run on the mobile platform and provides the tools to “life-stream” with 150 close friends and contacts. Path began as a social network mainly for uploading photos but users can now also check in, post status updates, and share music/movies/books. Again, this social network isn’t the one that stands out with thousands of followers, but it is a tool to keep in touch with your close friends and family.
While Twitter and Instagram are for public life-streaming, Path is concentrating its efforts to privatize its community. Its simple command, on the go performance and an easy to use interface, combined with a privacy-centric network drive its success. In fact, a major aspect of what makes Path unique as a top new social networking site is it’s own story about how it protects against internet privacy issues.
Moreover, Path successfully provides a tool to create a familiar sense of community among its users, while creating a chance for them to share their story with real friends. Posts are tabbed as “moments, ” which once again express that idea. Path makes the statement: Social networking isn’t all about how many likes you can get, but the real connections you can cultivate.
There are already so many social media apps on the internet today, the future of social networking looks promising especially with these so called social local media So-Lo-Mo which is majorly mobile-based. Just as more and more people are gaining access to a high speed internet access by the day with the different kinds of cheap and affordable smartphones in the market today, the rate of social media growth is also on the increase.
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Nice Innovation from Both of them,but it would have been better if they can create such apps for Mobile phone too. I will go and check the apps out now.
Social grows and grows, both through traditional means and mobile channels.
Having traveled the world for over 2 years I am stunned by how many people have access to the web, or use mobile devices.
I have seen people on iPhones in the jungles of Bali, folks checking their laptops by the ricefields in Vietnam and people checking their latest FB updates on the beach in Costa Rica.
Unreal.
Thanks!
Thanks Molak for your comment.
Social Media has revolutionized the way we live and socialize and social local media will even bring it down more to the grass root…i will love to know more about people around me via social local media.
Social is a critical factor and the reason behind it is because that’s where you’ll find your local folks. People are most interested in what’s happening around them and social media platforms provides exactly the same. I’m sure this brand new concept will evolve positively with the time.
It was a nice post and an opportunity to learn new trends. You’ve very correctly raised the issue of privacy as the so-lo-mo are gaining popularity. The misuse of location and other information can sometimes be really dangerous.
Thank you for the good post and waiting for more in coming days.
There is already an app called badoo that does almost such, it uses location to show friends based on proximity. Thanks for your comment am sure this new concept will definitely have its challenges as well.
Social Local Mobile will definitely have its challenges just as Facebook and other Social media network once faced their own challenges and found a way out of it. They will also find a way out of theirs.
Nwosu, my friend, this is indeed a very nice article on a very interesting topic.
Hyper local social searching and tracking capabilities have their own set of pros and cons. Really it would be helpful in information exchanging and handling crisis situations in a more effective and better way and on the other side it can cause us in serious personal information leakage.
With the advancements of mobile technologies, high speed internet and tracking systems this is just the beginning of apps o web services like SoLoMo. Like every other technologies it only depends on us how we see it, use it and share it.
Thanks Raboken for your awesome contribution.