It seems like the biggest buzzwords in the industry are changing almost as soon as we find ways to implement them into advertising and marketing strategies.  We finally catch up on the newest trends and the right phrases to show that we are up to date and using the latest strategies and a new phrase comes in and changes everything.  Here is a look at seven words that seem to be huge right now, so go ahead- make yourself familiar before the lexicon changes again. Cloudsourcing Cloud computing has been huge for a little while now, especially with Apple moving their data storage into the Cloud for their customer base, so it really just makes sense that there would be some new jargon that plays with word usage a bit.  Cloudsourcing refers to the move that many companies are making right now in putting their entire IT systems into the cloud.  While it may have once been used for simple storage and easy sharing, the cloud seems to be the biggest thing in tech right now, and cloudsourcing is clearly a word you are going to need to commit to memory. Second Screen As every cable company in the world seemingly works on getting its television content available for customers to view online, it becomes painfully obvious that people today are looking to do new things with television.  Even when we are at home, our tech addictions seem to have us clamoring for something else to do while we watch, and that is where the term second screen comes in.  According to a Yahoo poll, a vast majority of mobile phone users Tweet, Facebook, or otherwise engage with what they are watching on television even while they watch, and that interaction with television shows and advertising that takes place on your phone or PC screen while watching the item in question on the television screen- well, it has given birth to a new and apparently very popular new phrase. Showrooming Showrooming is a huge phenomenon right now, and it is one that is making brick and mortar stores very uncomfortable.  This term was coined by booksellers, but the fact of the matter is that it applies to a lot of businesses these days, as stores have turned into nothing more than showrooms where people can try out products and take a gander at what is on the market before going home to buy it on Amazon for a lower price.  Showrooming is the bane of these companies’ existence, and rightfully so, and figuring out how to take market shares back from Amazon will likely be the topic of a great many meetings in 2012. Tumbld Just as Facebooked and Tweeted have become viable verbs in the modern lexicon, Tumbld is quickly managing to work itself into conversations as well.  Tumblr is perfect for people on the go and people who need content even more easily accessible than a 140 character Tweet, and with the site’s audience growing by leaps and bounds, it only makes sense that the lexicon be updated to give users their own special terminology. Plussification If we can make Tumbld a verb, it only makes sense that we can do the same for the up and coming Google+, right?  Now that Google+ is starting to tweak your search results according to what you and the people in your circles have “plussed” using the social networking site, it seems that this tweak is getting a name of its own.  Plussification may look a little strange and may currently be difficult to work into conversation, but as this change becomes more popular the chances are good that every marketing expert out there is going to be doing whatever is necessary to ensure that the content they product achieves plussification from as many people as possible. Gamification Marketers have been using games and contests to attract and engage consumers for decades, and the introduction of apps, mobile websites, and online console gaming has done much to change this.  Log into some of the biggest games in the world right now and you can find company logos buried in the highly realistic 3D worlds that these companies have created.  Gamification is essentially the notion of engaging consumers by introducing an element of competition into your marketing, whether it is through social programs like GetGlue, company branded games (or branding within games), or even rewards programs that offer points and other rewards.  Gamification is growing wildly in popularity, and 2012 is likely to see some big entries from small and large companies alike. SoLoMo Spend five minutes on Facebook these days and you will find out where just about everyone on your friend list is currently hanging out.  Thanks to apps like Foursquare, checking into local businesses to show your support is a breeze, and that is where SoLoMo, or social local moble, gets its name.  The term refers to the ability of our mobile devices and computers to spit out local results when we type what we are looking for into Google or Yelp.  You type “best pizza restaurant”, and you know that you are going to get a result that is nearby.  It may not be the best, as taste is always subjective, but thanks to the concept of SoLoMo, you can find what you seek on your cell or PC without having to type out your exact location every single time you search. It’s likely that there are dozens of new buzzwords developing and gaining in popularity even as I type these words.  Technology and marketing are rapidly changing industries, and we are always looking for the best terms to describe what is happening in the best way possible.  Whatever new terms 2012 may bring, I am certain that they will catch on quickly.  At least now you have a head start that you can use to dazzle fellow Facebookers or to show attendees at your next meeting that you are on top of the year’s hottest marketing terms.