Rewind '06, Fast Forward '07 - June Li

1. Rewind – What trends in Internet marketing surprised you in 2006?

• The immense hype around Web 2.0 continues to build. Content proliferates since “I do because I can”. However, because of social media, the good bubbles to the top much faster than before (which is a good thing).
• Slow uptake measuring the return on dollars spent building, maintaining and enhancing one’s web presence (OK, maybe I’m just a bit biased on this topic). Continued belief by many (not One Degree readers) that brochure-ware sites are all that’s needed, that ROI measurement is not worth it, unless you are selling online.
• Continued belief that if you build it, they will come (without checking to see if in fact anyone’s coming!). Growth in corporate blogging.

2. Rewind – Did you add any new tools to your online marketing toolkit in 2006? Blogs, readers and LinkedIn.

3. Fast Forward – What do you see as the biggest trends in Internet Marketing in 2007?

• “Traditional” agencies will finally realize the great opportunity in tying offline campaigns to some online property.
• More text ads in video casts (because you can’t fast forward past them).
• More portable widgets, with links back to originator sites.
• Shorter and more focused (I hope) podcasts.
• Corporate blogs will be more focused and a truly useful venue for open, transparent conversation.

4. Fast Forward – At the end of 2007, what do you expect we’ll be looking back at as overhyped?  Web 2.0, when done for the sake of Web 2.0’ing.

5. Fast Forward – Any SPECIFIC predictions for 2007? Buy-outs, bubbles bursting, records broken, reputations toppled, break-out companies?

• Online purchases will continue to break records and predictions every year.
• The Second Life bubble will burst.
• The Open Project Directory, “temporarily down” since late October, will die and disappear.
• Google will continue to break-out into new, non-traditional areas (and this will NOT be a surprise).