It never happened before late 90s when internet had just started spreading in the city of lakes. The tourism and marble hub, Udaipur, was blessed with World Wide Web and many business opportunities started flourishing online for handicrafts, tourism and marble industry.

Still, unfortunately the web address remained more sweetly settled in business cards than actively participating online. However many early portals like udaipurplus.com still dominates top key words.

After two decades, now world is on finger tips, it’s a strongly clutched era of facebook, twitter, flickr and YouTube.

If we talk about the year 2010 then there are some major noticeable changes in Udaipur’s internet arena. From the way people of Udaipur became more internet savvy to the social media influenced websites taken out by some top notch local corporations.

Online advertising and promotion remained the key objectives of tourism industry of Udaipur while locals started using internet for less fun and more knowledge hunting work out. Those who are settled outside Udaipur made facebook’s communities their way to re-connect with their motherland.

Local News and Media agencies used twitter to break the news first.

All national and international events held or going to happen in the city made their strong online promotions, even shopping malls in Udaipur have their facebook fan pages to keep their customers updated.

How Udaipur will perform in the race of Social Media in 2011?

Year 2010 was the year of internet revolution in Udaipur when dozens of bloggers and blogs were born. It would be hard to say what the year 2011 will bring with it. However, I am sure it will be a year of Social Media revolution in Udaipur. So here are my 10 predictions regarding the rise of Social Media in Udaipur in year 2011.

1. Facebook will continue its magic!

Facebook is a giant online continent of 500 million registered users. As more people are heading towards facebook, brands and companies are following them too. Like 2010, the year 2011 will be significantly same for Udaipur’s die hard facebook fans. In every day or two a new facebook page or group about Udaipur popped out on FB. More and more people rely on first and fresh news of Udaipur posted on their friend’s facebook updates. Undoubtedly facebook will be the King!

2. Twitter will bore!

Unlike facebook, twitter has a bit boring story in Udaipur, because it was never considered to be a social network and merely a tool to follow bollywood and cricket stars, udaipurites never saw twitter much useful way of connecting. However, twitter has a strong social media presence globally.

3. Orkut will be History!

Orkut is losing its charm every day in India, so in Udaipur too. This Google owned social network never made top place though facebook came live in the same year orkut was started. But soon facebook became a real devil for orkut.

4. Blogging, a new Hero!

Blogging opens different opportunities for Udaipur’s young and talented people who have sense of creativity and guts to share their bold thoughts in front of others. Be it poetry writing, reviews or random thoughts, Udaipur’s blogosphere is growing potentially.

5. Gmail will overtake Yahoo!

Many of my friends still prefers Yahoo over Gmail for emailing but Gmail has some more extra ordinary features in its closet, like its wonderful “lab” feature. It’s safe and spam protected. Moreover it helps in operating all Google accounts with same id. Gtalk is handier than Ymessenger.

6. Flickr will be new favorite!

Photography and Udaipur has an old relation, so why not world’s top photography social network flickr? As more and more netizens have SLRs, Digital cameras and mobile phone loaded with high resolution cameras, photography is an ever growing passion, and sharing it is a new fashion.

7. Mobile Internet will flourish!

Smart phones geared with internet connections and easy downloadable applications gave mobile internet a boom. 2G and now 3G enabled phones are in trend. There are more facebook updates from “facebook mobile” than via web.

8. Travel Communities create opportunities.

Online forums like indiamike, lonleyplanet and tripadvisor are becoming favorites for people related to tourism and hotel industry. That’s the best place to see customer review or to make a strong customer bond. I see more activities by Udaipur based tour operators, wedding planners and hoteliers to give time for these online community forums.

9. YouTube is rocking!

There is no better way to broadcast yourself except Google owned world’s largest video sharing network YouTube.com, it has also proved to be one of the best ways of entertainment and information source in a real video form. Then be it the overflow of fateh sagar Lake, Diwali Celebration, International Kite Festival or National Youth Festival. Many Udaipurites captured those moments and uploaded to YouTube. With an easy and affordable access of high speed internet, YouTube is next BIG thing in 2011.

10. Linkedin will be the Job Board.

Let’s move on to the corporate sector of Udaipur. Almost all of the major industries, media houses, outsourcing firms, software developers, and career consultants have their Company Profiles on Linkedin.com. Not only this but you can also find profiles of their employees on Linkedin, scan their qualifications, achievements, experience and many other things. And yes, if you are looking to hire someone or need a good job then Linkedin is going to be the best place in 2011.

With all these noticeable changes, we are moving toward faster way to connect ourselves to the world. The perspective towards the word “internet” has changed a lot in last 10 years. Information, Knowledge and Entertainment got a new destination. Let’s look forward and hope to see a new Social Media Revolution in Udaipur.