Revisited: My Prediction for 2011

I originally wrote this 3 years ago.

At the time, I had just finished my most successful year in the radio advertising world and was also going full force in the social media world.  6 months later, I would walk away from radio for a full time position in website development.

I also have worked full time in social media and now, on the cusp on 2014, I get to work in all of the above.

As I have been reviewing articles from my archives, this one stood out as a timeless prediction that can be applied to nearly any marketing medium:

I was invited (again) to make a prediction for next year for Joe Pulizzi and Junta 42.

Here’s what I submitted:

Value will be the true measuring stick in 2011.

Questions consumers are asking themselves, “Is there a value to me if I follow you on Twitter or Like you on Facebook?”

Business owners are asking themselves, “Is mass discounting via Groupon (and similar sites) providing me with customers that I value, or am I just offering loss leaders without any true long term value to my business?”

Social Media skeptics will place little value on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, etc. because they haven’t grasped the social interaction value of the media.

Social Media users and believers will continue to grow and increase their value to their friends and followers because they understand that despite the trackability of the web, relationships are not as easily measured in simple R.O.I. terms.

Every decision made in 2011 will be based on the value each of us as individuals assign to the choices.