Social Media Oxbows

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to give the keynote and facilitate several workshops at the Arkansas Festival and Events Association Annual conference in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I was also the invited workshop presenter for a day long workshop at the Arkansas Discovery Network in Little Rock. We spent the day talking about how to use social media in the non-profit organization.

I had a wonderful time helping people in both groups learn the fundamentals of social media and how to use online tools to market events and organizations.

I learned something new myself too. As I was flying into Little Rock, I noticed the Arkansas river winding its way through the countryside. It was traveling in a snake like pattern that most rivers follow. But then I noticed small half moon shaped lakes and swamps flanking the river on all sides. They looked to be remnants of a river long ago before it found an easier path with less resistance.

I came to find out these are called oxbow lakes and in fact they are exactly as I assumed. Here’s something interesting about rivers.

They are powerful and lazy.

Rivers are big powerful forces that bully their way to where they want to go. But rivers are also lazy and will always choose the path of least resistance – sometimes leaving behind small oxbow lakes of water and swampland.

I began to draw some parallels between the Arkansas river winding its way toward the Gulf Of Mexico and the stream of social media companies and people making their way to the future.

Both the river and social media will take the path of least resistance.

Both the river and social media leave oxbows in their wake. Some social media companies seemed great at one time when they had a “river” running through them. But now that river has moved onto an easy path.

I have this sneaking suspicion that more social media oxbows are coming. What do you think?

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This site, Joel-Mark-Witt.com, is where I ask questions while standing at the intersection of social media, podcasting, online video, marketing, PR, storytelling, life and leadership…. and what the heck this all means for my business and yours. If you like what you see – please subscribe to it for free. To join the discussion or to comment in real time follow me on Twitter.

Joel Mark Witt

Photo by Maitri