Future:Media:Change

Will Twitter be around in 2010?  Will Augmented Reality be the next big thing?  The truth is nobody really knows what web trends will make their mark next year but by looking at trends from 2009 we can speculate what kind of landscape we will encounter and what all of it means for non profits.

In a Mashable article, Samuel Axon outlines some of the most popular web trends of this year.  The verdict?  The Real-time web is will continue to make a big impact in how we use the Internet.  Let’s look at some of the biggest trends and what we can do in the non profit field to get ready for them.

1. Google Real-Time Results

You might have noticed a new section at the top of your page when you Google something,  that’s a real-time web search.  Rather than traditional web searches that crawl through web pages, real-time search aggregates information as soon as  it’s published  by services like Twitter.

What does this mean for non profits?

• Regardless if your audience is on Twitter or not, pushing out a stream of timely information is going to become more important.  Organizations that are able to rapidly respond to current events will be able to reach people faster.
• Your community will be just as important as your organization.  In order to get your information out in a real-time situation, your community will need to be part of the news pushing process.  When you have relevant information, your community will need to republish the content to ensure the information consistently stays at the top of real-time web searches.

2. Real-Time Social Networking

While Twitter dominated 2009 headline’s for real-time micoblogging, other industry giants aren’t sitting still.

Facebook’s real-time vision was in part bought (rather than invented) when the company purchased FriendFeed in August. Shortly after the acquisition, Facebook launched a revamped version of its News Feed incorporating some real-time web functionality. -MashableMashable

What this means for non profits?

• Real-time social networking means people will be receiving with even more information unless they setup specialized filters.  Your community will be able to receive more information from you, but will also be following other causes and issues they are interested in.  Making content interesting and dynamic will take resources and planning.
• The immediacy of real-time social networking gives us the opportunity to receive feedback from initiatives quickly and given the right framework, we will be able to change plans on the fly, developing more relevant project for our audience.

5. Real-Time Collaboration

We’ve written, and then wrote more, and then more, about Google Wave, and with good reason.  Real Time collaboration is now clear within the public eye. Services like Google Docs, Zoho and Microsoft’s new Office Suit are all offering real time collaboration, changing how we interact both with our teams and with our communities.

What this mean for Non Profits?

• If you are working in a collaborative environment, these new tools could really alter the speed and clarity of interaction.  Companies have already been using tools like Google Wave with customized alterations to make powerful collaboration tools suited to their needs.
• Real-time collaboration tools like Google Wave are also being used to communicate with organization’s communities.  News services have already begun using Google Wave as open forums to articles or blogs.  Adding Google Wave to the suite of ways of collaborating with your community could make a big impact in 2010.

The real-time web is already here and given the trends of 2009, we are going to see more apps that tap into our need for immediate information.  Let’s stay ahead of the curve and think about how we can use these emerging tools to help better engage our audience and promote lasting change.