IT MIGHT seem an arduous task to live up to the job title of “digital prophet”. But when David Shing talks, people pay attention.

Part of it may well be down to his looks – he catches your attention. But the Australian-born tech expert also has some strong opinions that stimulate debate.

In the past he has denounced the notion of apps as a “rubbish” concept, with Facebook likes also coming in for criticism.

He’s also a memorable showman. His talk at the Web Summit last month was a glimpse into how Shing’s mind works – fast and furious, with some prop photos to bring his point home.

Shing adopted the role of AOL’s digital prophet after the company’s reorganisation meant its marketing budget came under pressure.

Shing uses his role as head of media and marketing for AOL in Europe as an opportunity to speak at conferences and on panels as he tries to keep the firm’s profile in the market.

“Some people would argue that we have a perception problem, so I wanted to change that,” he said. Part of this role, he said, was to “out-teach” the competition.

It also means that AOL can identify new opportunities for its business, a crucial advantage in a marketplace that has become increasingly competitive in recent years.

“It doesn’t exist anywhere else, to have this evangelist prophet,” he said. “There are evangelists, product evangelists typically, but that’s not my job. My job is to be agnostic to the marketplace, to educate and inspire.”

Keeping on top of trends and spotting the next big thing is his business, and he is feels at ease discussing the future of technology with the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“I’m native to it, It’s become second nature. I can sit in a room full of 16-year-olds and still be able to tap dance with them. That’s part of the beauty of being part of that fabric, the early adopter.”

In the past few years, the use of social media has exploded among consumers, and businesses have had to follow suit.

Shing, however, isn’t convinced that for businesses, social media can really deliver what they think.

He predicts a backlash against what he describes as a “landgrab” of “likes” on social media by companies. Part of the problem, he said, is that is doesn’t always mean that consumers will interact with the firm, nor will it necessarily translate into any commercial advantage for the firm.

“I’ve been talking about verbs for a long time, and the type of verbs we’re going to see. ‘Want’ is one that’s just surfaced, which in my mind is an answer to Pinterest for Facebook,” he said.

“It does have a genuine e-commerce hook potentially. I don’t think anyone has done e-commerce very well in social. It doesn’t work that well just yet; it’s not well integrated.”

It’s new territory for many companies, and they need to tread carefully to protect their brands.

“We are getting comfortable with the company of strangers, and you’ll see that via the aspiration of Twitter, but we’re not to a point where we trust the new environment I think,” he said.

Shing warns that firms not only need to be careful in what they say on social media, but they also need to be careful about what they remove, citing examples of companies removing unflattering comments and posts, and stirring up a backlash from consumers as a result.

Although he may not be tempted by “like”, one aspect of Facebook’s business that does appeal to Shing is its decision to buy Instagram.

The photo-sharing app set Mark Zuckerberg’s company back $1 billion (€771 million) earlier this year, but Shing considers the purchase a good move for Facebook.

“I find myself contributing less and less to Facebook. With Twitter, I find it depends on what I’m doing, what I find interesting,” he said.

“The only one and still actively engaged in which I think is a beautiful acquisition by Facebook is Instagram, because it’s right time, right place.”

It is this aspect of social media that he predicts will develop further in the future – self-expression.

“When video gets that convenience level, I think the whole notion of 1-9-90 – 1 per cent originate, 9 per cent comment, 90 per cent passive – I think we’ll find it becomes actively more engaged,” he said.

“I think personalisation and the context of that is going to become more important.”

Shing is also hoping the web will make us better humans – more well-informed, more compassionate – and that the web itself will become more humanised.

“Maybe it’s human nature, but we don’t tend to react when people are literally trying to reach out, we don’t reach back fast enough until something drastic happens,” he said.

“I think that’s part of the success or failing of social in the real-time social world.”