The Social Year in Review – 2009 by Guest Blogger, Constance Korol

A couple weeks ago, I posted a question on Facebook and Twitter asking the world “What were your two most memorable moments of 2009.” At the time I assumed that the most common response would be the unfortunate news of Michael Jackson’s death. Looking back now I think Tiger Wood’s admission of his extramarital activities would likely have come in a close second even though it was just announced that he was voted Athlete of the Decade. To my surprise this was not the case, the responses were of a much more personal nature, including “my marriage”, “my son’s bar mitzvah” and “meeting my wife’s extended family for the first time in Italy”.

I began to rethink my initial views of 2009. Perhaps I was viewing the year with a little more cynicism than it deserved. Then while I was on the treadmill one morning, I started to think about the amazing happenings of 2009…

We started the year witnessing history as our country inaugurated its first African American President, Barack Obama. My colleagues and I watched the ceremony streaming live on our office computer through a CNN/Facebook page which let the world share its emotions and feelings online socially for the first time. This included staggering statistics like having 600,000 status updates through the integration. https://mashable.com/2009/01/20/cnn-facebook-inauguration-numbers/

Another very social moment of 2009 was when Usain Bolt earned the title of the fastest man on earth. (YouTube video currently with 1,333,989 views) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By1JQFxfLMM

2009 also brought us the rapid evolution of Twitter, Twitter apps and the usage of Twitter through lists and retweet revamps.

And a big congratulations to Pete Cashmore, CEO of Mashable, who not only is now a frequent contributor to CNN Technology, but he just won Most Influential Twitter User of the Year. https://mashable.com/2009/12/17/twitter-influence-study/

Charities turned on the social media accelerator with organizations like Livestrong growing to almost 700,000 Facebook Fans. I just received a beautiful card in the mail from a volunteer/cancer survivor which I immediately shared on my network as well as the Livestrong wall with so far 5 likes and 3 comments including an “Awesome!” https://www.facebook.com/livestrong

2009 may have been a tough year for many, but it was also a tremendous period of growth in “new media”. As President Obama struggled with economic challenges, he invited Entrepreneurs to the White House who included Frequent Twitter user Tony Hsieh from Zappos and Ev Williams CEO of Twitter to discuss new avenues and new opportunities that new media can offer to make the world better. At the beginning of this decade there were many people who found themselves struggling to get a grasp on new technologies ushered in by the “Dot Com Boom”. Now although Twitter and Facebook seem to be household names, there are those who still struggle with the concept of social media as well. But just as we saw a significant rise in sales coincide with the dot com boom, this year online sales were up 13.7 percent on Cyber Monday compared to 2008 (according to Coremetrics), even as we ease out of The Great Recession. It is debatable that social media has played a role in this increase.

This was a year that brought us closer to high level executives, economists and world leaders through social media as we followed the World Economic Forum form Davos Switzerland on its Twitter page. Prominent guest panelists and speakers tweeted and were documented on all of the well known networks. This even included their own full blown YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/worldeconomicforum We found solace in watching home videos like the JK Wedding Dance Entrance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0 and embraced the YouTube video of Susan Boyle as she debuted “I Dreamed a Dream” from Britain’s Got Talent. Not only was this the most popular YouTube video of the year with 120,000,000 views, but the record breaking album also debuted at number one on the charts before it was even released.

For me, 2009 was a year of learning, networking, and meeting forward thinking people like Hilary Topper at her book signing which was a great moment for her career. It was a monumental year for great Social Media folks who organized networking and educational meetings such as Adam Hirsch COO from Mashable, Jeff Pulver from 140Conf, Howard Greenstein from Social Media Club and the lovely folks from TWTRCON San Francisco including Tonia Ries.

The extent to which social media has permeated my life in only a year is staggering. I recently ran a half marathon to which I found out when registration opened via an alert on Twitter Running the half marathon was definitely necessary since I had to run off all those calories I consumed by eating @cupcakestop ‘s delectable’s. It is always easy to find them in Manhattan by checking their Twitter page. I also met @hianthony, (love that handle name) a reporter from dailyfinance.com and many other people through connections within my social media network.

It was a year that IBF welcomed me home to grow our outreach on the social networks and a year that allowed me to start iTwitterCoach.

It was not a lavish year; it was not a year of champagne popping toasts partnered with caviar, and high end parties with endless funding. But it was a year of celebrations, though they may have been subtle and unique. The passing on of knowledge through Twitter, the increased connections with the world through like minded people and appreciation for one’s health, happiness, and ability to be prosperous. It may be the “new norm”, and of course we as a global community have a list of priorities to fix. For now 2009 is almost a memory, a new decade begins.

But please interrupt me… “Constance I am going to let you finish but xxxxxx was the Best of 2009”. Join our conversation…

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Hilary for allowing me to contribute to her blog in 2009. I wish you all a very Happy New Year.