Here are my predictions for the top three social media marketing trends for 2012: the good, the bad and the ugly.
- The first-rate: Visionary brands will realize that social is not only about the new medium, but also about new and more meaningful messages. So, instead of trying to spread inside-out brand-first positioning messages, they will search for an outside-in community-first “social heartbeat” that connects the brand values with the passions shared by the community members. Expect to see a few more strategic integrated influencer marketing programs like Pepsi Refresh Project, but not (yet) in Asia.
- The awful:
Companies will realize that they can’t be social outside and anti-social inside and experiment with enterprise collaboration platforms, even in the emerging Asian markets like India and China. However, companies will struggle to organize and energize their employees to act as evangelists, because the right tools are not enough, without the right culture.- The unattractive: Social media marketing will become more commercial, as brands chase the illusion of scale with paid social advertising, paid co-branded contests on niche communities, and paid influencer endorsements. Social media marketing in China is almost 100% commercial. Social media marketing in North America, Europe and India is bound to become more commercial, as brands try to scale engagement, and influencers try to monetize influence. Just like China led the virtual goods business model on social networks, it will lead the paid influencer endorsement business model on blogs and micro-blogs.
What about you? What are your perspectives on these three predictions? What are your own top three social media marketing predictions for 2012? Do share your insights in the comments below.
