It seems I have been around the world with this issue with businesses only being interested in managing one Social Network. As I can see their logic in how the economy is forcing them to quit using the shotgun effect of marketing online I have to wonder if there ever will be a single social network.
I am sure as more and more businesses start evaluating where they are getting the most sales from they will quickly jump to the conclusion they only need to be in that one space. I am sure many in the Digital Strategy industry will disagree with them on focusing on just one space.
However, I see in the near future businesses who advertise heavily on a social network to start pulling out of less productive social spaces because that space is not working and/or they are finding another one is working better. This move of revenue from one site to another will eventually level out the playing field in the social spaces. This move to a more productive online environment could very quickly sift out to there really only being one place to go to find value these businesses are demanding.
In reality..these social networks..Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter and the multitudes of others..are only out for the money, not the people in the network. They are going to go where the money goes or change to keep the money.
Which network will it be the site of preference? Can we tell today? What do the social spaces have to do to keep the businesses who write them the big checks each month? How will the people in the special spaces react?
All these questions are being asked. I wonder if the social networks are listening? I would say they better be.
There will not be simply one Social Network, for the same reason there is not just one, car, or brand of Salad Dressing.
Paul, I guess we will see.