Social Media Predictions 2009 from 15 Leaders in the Art of Conversation
posted by Nick MendozaTuesday, December 16th, 2008
The end of each year inevitably results in discussions of what made headlines over the past 12 months. In marketing communications, the rapid growth of social media in 2008 has captivated our attention and inspires us to think about the engagement opportunities that lie ahead. Peter Kim, a thought leader in social media, invited 14 other highly respected experts to share their predictions for what to expect in the continuously evolving world of social media. The crystal ball on the 2009 conversation revealed a widespread belief that social media will experience continued growth, while also undergoing much needed refinement and humanization.
1) Quality of community, not quantity of connections
• Charlene Li: “Having thousands of friends becomes ‘so 2008’ and defriending becomes the hot new trend.”
• Greg Verdino: “We’ll start using online social platforms to stay connected with the people we actually know and care about.”
2) Humans power relationships
• David Armano: “Organizations will realize they require warm bodies and bright minds in order to successfully execute programs.”
• Pete Blackshaw: “2009 will also be the year we rediscover the appeal of ‘live intimacy.’”
3) Conversation is the most valued currency
• Rohit Bhargava: “Measure with customer service metrics like retention/satisfaction & social metrics like engagement.”
• Todd Defren: “Measurement is the bugbear of marketing … Look for a well-respected marketing guru to advocate for a simplified approach that all can rally around.”
The ability to accurately define what’s going to happen in social media next year is anyone’s guess – literally anyone. Social media is powered by people and the members of the varied communities across a multitude of networks. We all define how it will look in 2009 based on our participation, shared interests and the headlines in our conversation. I look forward to joining this lively discussion – an ongoing debate is one prediction every influencer can agree upon.
Tags: SocialMedia PeterKim CharleneLi GregVerdino DavidArmano PeteBlackshaw RohitBhargava ToddDefren
