The Conversation Prism will be familiar to many an attendee of digital marketing/social media events and, with the conference season set to pick up after the summer lull, what better time to check out the updated version of the social media map.
Along with that other well-worn conference staple the social media revolution video, the Conversation Prism could be viewed as nothing more than a nicely-packaged, eye-catching exclamation on the popularity and diversity of social media.
Or, you could see it as a valuable tool to help track the evolution of a peculiar type of media continues to fragment and expand at a lightening pace.
Of note in the Conversation Prism 4.0 is the addition of new categories such as the quantified self (Nike+, Jawbone, Fitbit etc) and the way that other categories, music springs to mind, are now exemplified by entirely different services than those picked for the Prism’s last update in 2010.
But how to use it?
Some of Solis’ more useful suggestions are to “study the landscape as you plan your next social media strategy” and “Show your executive team that social media is not a fad and that it’s bigger than Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest”.
He also suggests paying close attention to each of the concentric circles, which are designed to to help improve strategies and results.
So there you go, a nicely-packaged tool with strategic potential.
Dominic Tyer 