The Shiny Ball

We all know this one.  When we were kids, little Tommy or Little Brenda down the road came over and had “The” new toy with them.  Maybe it was the Millennium Falcon, the Pose Me Pretty Barbie, or the new Huffy BMX, we all remember that feeling of someone else having that “oh so cool” item and we didn't.  What was your first reaction? “I need that!”  “I want that!”  Did you get it?  If you did, did it continue to fill you with joy and awesomeness?  More often than not, no, it did not. 

Some of us still do this today with tech gadgets.  The newest Apple falls from the tree or the latest Sony whatchamacallit comes out and we yell, “I need that!”  The same happens in Social Media, it’s what I call “The Shiny Ball”, and it seems like every new platform, every new site, reconfirms this.

What is the Shiny Ball Syndrome for Social Media?  Simple; “Given the launch of a new, and pretty, social site, the masses will flock to it like a Shiny Ball.  However, know that balls, no matter how shiny, can bounce or roll away, and quickly.  Only through time, and said masses usage (or more importantly ‘continued usage’) can we really know if something is a ‘shiny ball’ that is bouncing away or a ‘bright star’ that truly shines.”

Google Plus.  These two words are pretty much synonymous with Shiny Ball Syndrome.  When Google Plus came out, you heard, “Dude, it’s Facebook, but it looks good!” Or, “No, really, I’m moving and never looking back!”  My favorites were all the avatar icons that said “I’ve moved” and had the Google Plus logo on it.  People were leaving Facebook like it had the plague and touting all the healing qualities of Google Plus.

Fast forward to today, and we see this.  The Wall Street Journal’s piece that has probably the most sobering fact about Google Plus I've seen or heard.  “Visitors using personal computers spent an average of about three minutes a month on Google+ between September and January, versus six to seven hours on Facebook each month over the same period, according to comScore…”

Three Minutes!?  Wow.  That means the average user is probably less than that, since it’s somewhat safe to assume the Googlers on Google Plus are using it more than the average user.  One would hope at least.

Today, you know the Shiny Ball that’s in play.  Pinterest.  I first heard of Pinterest last year, probably fall timeframe, when my wife started having these “ideas”.  I say that in quotes because her creativity on things like this translates to a “honey-do” list for me.  I remember watching the Saints/Lions NFL playoff game with my friends while our wives were chatting about, yes, you guessed it, Pinterest.  It was literally like their lives have been swallowed whole by it.  Pinning, repinning, searching, capturing ideas from this or that… it was all they could talk about.

Today, Pinterest is still growing.  Ridiculously growing!  And, for the moment, doesn’t look to be slowing down much at all.  Even my male friends, who have tried Gentlemint are talking about having a Pinterest profile now, so that stereotype is falling quickly.  But, is it a “shiny ball”, or a “bright star”?

Many will tell you that it’s still to be determined.  They won’t prop it up like the second coming, nor knock it down and sentence it to an early death.  I think though, Pinterest has a unique differentiator that other ‘Shiny Balls’ haven’t captured well.  The look.  Pinterest is an almost completely visual site.  And humans are a visual bunch. 

You hear it all the time… “I learn better when I see it.” Or, “can you draw it out for me, I’m just a visual person.”  So Pinterest hits home on this mark, and while yes, Twitter has twitpics and Facebook has photo uploads, Pinterest has done an excellent job of bringing the visuals to the forefront to capture emotion and more importantly, take sharing and inspire and provide muse for its audience.

I’ll close with this, “Be careful with Shiny Balls, they tend to smudge sometimes.”  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adopt early or experiment, but it does mean you should temper your excitement for that new toy, as more often than not, it will smudge up.  That said, it’s a pleasure to truly find the Shiny Ball that becomes the Bright Star, and continues to provide enjoyment and most importantly, value!

Hmm, I think I should pin this right now actually since I’m thinking about it… 

PS - no cats or kittens were harmed in the posting of this blog's animated gif above :)