There is a growing realisation that smaller groups are the future of social networking. Sure, Facebook is a behemoth and isn’t going anywhere in the short-term. But, working on the social media principle that you are trust/are interested in what your friends say, surely there is a place for smaller social network groups where conversation flows more freely.

This seems like it will be the theme of this year’s SXSW. Companies like GroupMe are banking on us wanting to be part of these ‘private chat rooms’ and it could be the differentiator in terms of location-based services genuinely hitting the global mainstream. ‘Acts of Sharing’ is a different beast in that it’s more about sustainability and not purchasing stuff that someone else can lend you, but it still supports the notion that online sharing is changing.

In terms of what this means for public relations, it’s difficult to tell right now what the impact on our world will be. I can’t decide the exact relevance for my clients at the moment, but I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on developments in this area. One thing is for certain – genuine trust is going to be an increasingly important commodity in the wider world of marketing.