#Social Media Networks #Facebook & #Google Extinct by 2020?

Are Google and Facebook destined for a MySpace fate within the next 3 to 7 years?

Besides Facebook's miserable IPO performance and a line of potential lawsuits, some voices in the blogosphere are already questioning whether the social media giant and its nemesis Google will still be around and be relevant in just a few years from now.

Google+ may not have launched with as much interest as hoped but it is building up steam and Facebook does remain one of the most important marketing platforms out there. Both have their issues and could be broken up for any number of reasons from privacy to holding too big of a monopoly on the web but for the next few years no business can ignore them or afford not to be on them if they want to rule their niches and maximize their potential.

Facebook may be working on diversifying deeper into mobile and could be planning its own search engine but it certainly isn't as forward thinking and working on as many next generation tech ideas as Google.

Mobile and mobile marketing will most certainly take a much bigger role in the future but probably not as we know it today. Today's iPhone and tablets are certainly too small to completely replace desktops and laptops but Google's Goggles certainly shine a light on what we can expect.

For entrepreneurs and business owners, the bottom line is that social media remains a must for today but maintaining a well-balanced marketing mix is essential for diversifying and protecting revenues. This includes social, SEO, mobile, and for most businesses, offline marketing too. Looking forward is an absolute must and those who will lead rather than be struggling to catch up will be those preparing to embrace emerging tech and marketing mediums.

Will Facebook still be around in 7 years? Who knows but you can bet those focus on building the best brands, both in terms of recognition via branding tools like vanity numbers and domain names and who build quality, trusted brands have the best chance of surviving for the long run.