In December 2010, a little-known app for sharing photos with funky, retro filters announced it had signed up its millionth user. Fast forward two years, and Instagram is a social media titan, with more than 100 million users. Some 58 photos are uploaded to the service every second.
While Facebook's acquisition had a lot to do with Instagram's growth, the reality is that new social media leaders are now emerging in a matter of months, not years. So what does 2013 hold for the social media landscape? Here's a look into the crystal ball.
As diverse as these platforms are, they are all taking social networking into deeper, more focused directions: from cerebral platforms like Medium to entertainment-based networks like Pheed. Facebook will continue to reign supreme in 2013, Twitter will thrive and Google+ will accrue critical mass. But in the shadow of these all-purpose social networks, some truly exciting specializations are underway.
Ryan Holmes is the CEO of HootSuite, a social media management system with five million users, including 79 of the Fortune 100 companies. In the trenches everyday with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and the world's largest social networks, Holmes has a unique view on the intersection of social media and big business.
From slick, touch-enabled remote controls to robots that clean your floors for you, these cool gadgets are the most droolworthy devices out there.
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