The Next Social Media Boom to Hit Will Be In...

We all know by now that the social media revolution is in full swing and shows no signs of slowing down. It's one of the few things that is "up" in this current economic slump. Now that we have hit critical mass with the general population, what will be the next sector to experience a massive explosion?

Local business, that's where. Right now, local business owners are more unplugged from social media websites than corporate America. The overwhelming majority of local businesses have no earthly idea what Twitter is, much less any other social media website that has come along since Myspace. This presents a huge opportunity.

In my home town, I have noticed that a handful of business owners have created Myspace pages. However, only 1 store owner that I know of is using Twitter, the hottest and newest social media networking site to hit the scene and rock the world. That business is Tasir Yanis' "Coffee Zone", located on High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri.

I often see Tasir posting tweets about lunch specials, 12-seconds video posts, and even random pictures of some of his favorite patrons. He hasn't even scratched the surface of what Twitter can do for his business, but he is leagues ahead of his competitors. He can be seen on Twitter as CoffeeZone. Check him out when you get a chance.

But I digress... what is keeping other business owners from discovering the fertile ground of social media marketing in Jefferson City? In my opinion, it is due to the fact that we have not hit critical mass in the business world. Nobody will make a move until they see a competitor getting an "unfair" advantage by making connections with clientel through social media websites.

Right now, business owners are either completely unaware of the masses of potential customers using social media websites, or they are not yet believers in the power of connecting through these sites. The first business that has reportable gains from social media marketing and real metrics to prove its validity will cause a mad rush to the web 2.0 frontier.

I predict that it will be 12 to 18 months before we hit critical mass. Why? From my research, experience, and discussions with Twitter experts like BobbetteKyle.

The social media minutemen need to keep their eyes on the horizon, because the stampede is coming...