“Today every invention is received with a cry of triumph which soon turns into a cry of fear”. If we were to agree with this famous quote by Bertold Brecht, we’d better start clearing our throats right now because, in this digital era, it is not easy to keep count of the many creative inventions and technical innovations. Social network sites such as Myspace, Facebook or Ning have penetrated into the lives of millions of people worldwide and “to tweet” has even become a regularly used verb.
Looking at this massive amount of different websites that are all diverse and original in their own way, the question rises as to whether it is still possible to create something new. What about a social network site for pets? Or perhaps one for bird spotters or stamp collectors? No, all of these exist and are used regularly.
Does this necessarily mean that the flood of innovations is coming to an end? No, but the general focus should be shifted from originality to perfection. Emily Morris, contributor to Chief Marketer claims that “[t]he challenge [...] is not coming up with new ideas, but rather recognizing, refining and prioritizing true breakthroughs and innovations. If a company is able to recognize the flaws in a particular product by looking at customer dissatisfaction, they might be more successful in attracting new clients than if they had developed an entirely new project.
The same goes for social network sites. It is almost impossible to come up with a totally new concept, but many existing sites are in desperate need of innovation. After all, social networking is an ever changing concept. Gina Bianchini, CEO and co-founder of Ning explains that “the earliest sites forced people to contort and squeeze their personalities into what’s available”, but that now “[i]nstead of altering yourself to fit the social network, the social network is evolving to cater to you”. It is up to the users of these sites to decide what can be improved and in this way, brilliant ideas, that are both original and efficient, can be made into effective, and maybe even one day best-selling products.
Sources: www.chiefmarketer.com
