Social Media: The Five-Year Forecast

In a recent interview published in destinationCRM.com

Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang talks about Social Media and the future of the Social Web. His "Future of the Social Web" report says that, with the growing influence of social networks marketers will have to change their strategies.

According to the report, the Social Web evolution can be devided into 5 eras:

• Mid 1990's: The era of social relationships: The beginnings of the Social web. People connecting with their friends to share information
• Present era: The era of social functionality: More than a "firenship" platform, but inclusion of what Owyang calls "Social Interactive Applications"
• Late 2009: The era of social colonization: Integration between Social and Regular Sites
• 2010: The era of social context: Social networks will become the "base of operation for everyone's online experiences."
• 2011+: The era of social commerce: Social networks more powerful than corporate Web sites and CRM systems. Brands will serve community interests.