Malcolm Gladwell took the right or wrong Internet marketing turn?

Who is Malcolm Gladwell? Well, here is someone I envy from the bottom of my heart. He has written a handful of books, and guess what, every single one of them was in the New York Times Best Seller list. Obviously, that wasn't enough for him, so he has worked as the New Yorker staff writer for the last twenty years. Yet, it turned out that one single sentence would make him famously infamous more than all of his books. So, what happened and what it has to do with Internet Marketing, in the first place?

From Advertising to Journalism to Predictions

Well, Malcolm Gladwell predicted that in no more than five years we can forget about social media advertising, because that "would be a fad." The only trouble is that he shared his dark prediction with the marketing world five years ago, give it or take. And yet, here we stand five years later and social-media advertising is alive and kicking. So, how come a writer got himself involved in the marketing prediction business? Well, little did I know that according to Wikipedia, both journalism and advertising were Gladwell's second best option. He wanted to become a part of the marketing world, but "after being rejected by every advertising agency he applied to, he accepted a journalism position."

OK, maybe he was too emotional about advertising. Yet, this prediction had a five-year expiration date, and he tried to become a marketer almost twenty years ago. That is more than enough time for forgiveness, isn't it? He should've known better. I'm ready to trade my self-proclaimed marketing position for his well-established writing future. To top it all, I am ready to pay or provide some writing assistance services for free.

Social Media Advertising 2016 - Stronger Than Ever

OK, this was a blind guess. Yet, it doesn't mean it's far from the truth. I haven't noticed any signs of weakening or declining. How about you? It's less risky to say that five years from now social media marketing is going to evolve into something we can hardly predict or describe. Why? Because the social networks themselves are going to evolve a lot. You can hardly imagine a person with no social media activity of some kind. The advertising industry keeps an eye on what is happening in this part of the cyber universe very carefully and systematically. Every single social network is a golden goose when it comes to advertising. Why in the world would you want to change or neglect that? I'm not a social media advertising guru, but even if I were, I wouldn't even dare to call the dark clouds over the social media empire.

I suggest Gladwell that his sixth book should be titled as "How I took the wrong turn about social media advertising five years ago." Even if he had said ten or twenty years instead of five, the situation wouldn't have changed a lot. Internet marketers with the main focus on social media really don't have a thing to worry about. Yes, there would be some changes. Actually, quite a lot of them. Maybe, the landscape of social media advertising is going to change beyond recognition in the near future, but advertisers can only expect the good news. Does he know something we keep missing about social media advertising?

What Could Possibly Go Wrong Here?

He obviously missed his prediction target. He also said that we would run back to the hills of good old traditional advertising. No way! If you hire this writer to become your new advertising advisor, then you should pack your business bags. With all due respect, I could write a more successful novel, than he can predict the future of Internet marketing. I guess that Gladwell has quite a few loyal readers and true admirers among the Internet marketers, as a writer, of course. Yet, I couldn't find a single one of them supporting this Gladwell's claim about the pessimistic future of social media advertising. You can Google it and you will certainly stumble upon a video where a dozen of respectable business professionals very politely say, sorry Gladwell, but no way.

I can hardly imagine Gladwell promoting his next book with the traditional marketing tools. If he plans to get to the New York Times Best Seller list again, he will have to use the social media advertising, this way or another. If not him, them his publisher or agents definitely. Let me play this prediction game. Let us see how good I can be at it.

I predict that five years from now, you will be able to read Gladwell's books only in electronic format. Which reminds me of a funny situation in Germany related to the first wave of shocking revelations we can associate with Edward Snowden. I read somewhere that the sales of good old typing machines literally exploded in Germany during the notorious privacy crisis. The Germans had figured out that the safest way to protect and ensure their privacy is to type traditional letters. Can you imagine it? It is so surreal and undoubtedly effective. So, my word of advice is for Gladwell to use an old typing machine for his next book. Let us see how both traditional marketing and good old-fashioned typing work for him. The social media advertising show must and will certainly go on, with or without Gladwell, and with or without any of us. This marketing machine consumes new users, just like we consume Gladwell's new words. The moral of this story just couldn't be more obvious, could it? Never, and I mean under any circumstances don't allow yourself to become a part of the prediction industry, because it will hit you back like a boomerang, much sooner than later. Even if you fail as an advertiser, you can always find an open door in journalism. Isn't that right my dear Mr. Gladwell?