I'd recommend you to watch the 6 minute interview with Jeremiah, one of the top brains in Forrester Research. He just published his research paper on the Future of Social Web and describes it in Five Eras. Social Web is alive and growing faster than ever, and it is a great opportunity for all Internet marketers and brands to adopt and embrace the change to get more friends and customers.
Here is a great summary by CRM Magazine:
The report breaks down the past, present, and future state of the social Web into five overlapping eras:
- The era of social relationships: Beginning in the mid-1990s, people signed up for online profiles and connected with their friends to share information.
- The era of social functionality: As it exists today, social networking is more than just a platform for "friending," but one that can support a broader array of what Owyang calls "social interactive applications." However, identities are essentially disconnected silos within individual sites.
- The era of social colonization: By late 2009, technologies such as OpenID and Facebook Connect will begin to break down the barriers of social networks and allow individuals to integrate their social connections as part of their online experience, blurring the lines between networks and traditional sites.
- The era of social context: In 2010, sites will begin to recognize personal identities and social relationships to deliver customized online experiences. Social networks will become the "base of operation for everyone's online experiences."
- The era of social commerce: In approximately two years, social networks will be more powerful than corporate Web sites and CRM systems, as individual identities and relationships are built on this platform. Brands will serve community interests and grow based on community advocacy as users continue to drive innovation in this direction.
More to read on this report:
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/27/future-of-the-social-web/
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/05/01/running-list-of-the-five-eras-of-the-social-web/
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