Social networking.

• Position: TRENDS IN TECH

Facebook 's 500 million users are a testament to the profound impact social networking has had in Silicone Valley, Cairo, and pretty much everywhere else.

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"The reality is the world is always looking for a better way to tell a story," says Jason Cormier, co-founder and managing partner of Boulder-based social media agency Room 214; clients include the Travel Channel. "We've followed that rabbit hole by offering a whole new service in video scribing."

Video scribing involves animation of a whiteboard art with audio from a brainstorming session; the technique is lauded for its impact and viral nature. "It's next-level infographics with a storytelling bent," Cormier says. "It humanizes our brands."

Cormier says the "attention economy" plays by its own rules. "The reality is you only have a few seconds to capture someone's attention, and keeping it is a whole other strategy." Outside-the-box thinking is mandatory, he adds. "It's easy for marketers to get caught up with the tools in the tool shed rather than what's growing in the garden."

QR codes have also taken social networking by storm. "OR stands for quick recognition," Cormier says. "They are two-dimensional bar codes that you scan with your mobile device to be taken to a website, a contact method, or a field of text." While it's been in use in Japan for...