Top 10 online marketing predictions for 2007

Social networking (like YouTube and MySpace) will get more and more .....; people use specific tools to connect, recommend, rate and communicate within their groups, and for this reason, there are many types of social media now and there will be five times this many by the end of next year.

..... campaign websites (initiated by Spent2000.com) will have a purpose; next year will feature more substantial sites, like Philips's ShaveEverywhere, PassportToFlavor from Kettle Foods, and Snakes on a Plane.

..... content (which enables customers to co-create with their brands) will be a component on most new websites; ultimately, allowing users to post their stories through text, images and video helps to build community and long-term brand loyalty.

Email marketers will demand to know more advanced strategies for their email programs by asking questions like these: How does this email ..... in the default settings of the different email environments (AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.)? What content shows up above and below the fold on the email preview?

Quality content is more important now than ever before; there is a ..... of content, and it's only going to get more crowded.

Most successful companies will become media companies: more and more companies are starting their own blogs, stepping into their customers' shoes and providing them with more industry knowledge and news rather than simply ramming products down their ......

The Democrat majority in Congress swings the tide of online marketing: marketers will push the ..... far more aggressively in 2007 now that the fear of death by Republican firing squad has been reduced.

Greater integration of video into all websites; the ShaveEverywhere site proves that the use of video is hugely ..... and effective in converting sales.

eROI published an email study in early 2006 showing a direct correlation between smaller, more relevant lists and higher open and ..... through rates; updating email content and starting a conversation will be more important as people move toward seeing their inboxes as sacred places that they don't want violated by one-way advertising messages.

Thoughtful, ..... marketing is the biggest winner in 2007: ask your company what one nonprofit they want to support, and throw a lot of energy behind it, and you'll see that your employees, customers, and prospects will help you take this cause, and indirectly your company, to the next level.