Yep, it's that time of year again -- time for the marketing bloggerati to polish up their crystal balls and make some bold statements about what you can expect in the coming year. And you, faithful readers, scour the web looking for even just a few useful nuggets from your favorite bloggers and industry pundits.
Well, this year Peter Kim has done everyone the favor of gathering 2009 predictions from some of the sharpest minds in marketing and social media, and pulling them together in a single eBook that contains 50 or so clear-eyed, thought provoking ideas about what the next 12 months hold for media, marketing and the web.
As one of the contributors, I've had the opportunity to read everyone's predictions and can say for sure that you'll want to download a copy right away. Lots and lots of good stuff -- from a great cross-section of the blogging community, representing a variety of different points of view.
If you want a flavor for what the eBook has to offer, check out these thought starters from Pete's 14 Nostadami (Pete himself contributes an intro and some takeaways rather than his own predictions.)
- "Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology - it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful." - David Armano
- "You may not always start the year as a leader, but you can certainly finish it that way." - Rohit Bhargava
- "Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation." - Pete Blackshaw
- "Doors are going to close all over the social web. Why? Because the money didn't come the way people thought it would." - Chris Brogan
- "The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media." - Todd Defren
- "There's a lot of fixing that needs to be done." - Jason Falls
- "Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball." - Ann Handley
- "We're going to develop a set of better metrics to help guide, direct and validate 'commitment'." - Joseph Jaffe
- "The movement is rooted in a desire to have quality, not quantity, as people cocoon in the face of the economic crisis." - Charlene Li
- "After a pre-qualifying wrestling match..." - Ben McConnell
- "These will be cumulative events and interactions that will build brand loyalty for the companies that pay attention to them." - Scott Monty
- "The recession will force revenue results out of social technologies." - Jeremiah Owyang
- "Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return." - Andy Sernovitz
- "Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter." - Greg Verdino
As for me, I'll most likely expand on some of my own predictions right here on my blog over the coming few weeks. In the meantime, I'm sure Pete and the other authors would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to drop a comment here or any any of the contributors' own blogs.