Forrester Predicts Huge Growth for Social Media Marketing

Forrester in its Marketing Forum revealed that online marketing spend will continue to grow with more focus on social media marketing and mobile marketing.

The main reason for the regular increase in online marketing spends is that it provides clear metrics and the marketer can spend as per the ROI. But, in social media marketing it is bit difficult to get the metrics measured and it should be learnt that social media marketing is more for branding and awareness and less for sales and conversions.

Some more predictions for social media for the year 2009 from few of the thought leaders are below –

"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

"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

Let us see how far the predictions will be true and let me know if you defer with anybody…Here is the full paper through Scribd – Social Media 2009