In the Super Bowl of social marketing these campaigns are shiny trophies on the virtual shelf. They are what clients cheer for, what they want - for their own.

But these are not the answer for everyone. Me-too is not enough. And the rules of the game are shifting as we all stand on the field. Fun.

Social marketing game changers for 2011? My bets are on these areas:

1. The reveal of the real deal on "likes:" We are liking bacon, brands and pairs of jeans. We are liking on Facebook and off of Facebook. Liking is bound to be the new Xerox or Kleenex - the name for an action independent of Facebook.

In 2011 we start to get smart about what liking really reveals. We cater content according to it, we track competitors and we create experiences based on products people have liked. The personalization we've been talking about since 1996 gets closer to fruition. The implications for search are exciting.

2. eCommerce take backs: 2010 was the year ecommerce innovations and models were driven by upstarts. Groupon, Gilt, RueLaLa. In 2011 we start to see retailers take back this ecommerce innovation. eBay is doing it via their strong play in fashion, Ralph Lauren has The Vault. Exciting things are in store (sometimes literally).

3. The end of the quest for 1M fans: The quest for 1M fans will cease to exist. Celebrate now. Brands will shift their metrics to reflect a greater level of engagement. I'm convinced there's a reason why Facebook doesn't report repeat visitors to brand pages - and it's not a positive one. Quality will be queen. And fans will gain a value that models what we've had in email CRM for years.

I'm counting on ad:tech NY to liven and further the debate. It's very nice to meet you all.

Take care out there,
Amy

PS. I secretly hope 2011 brings us more inanimate objects with voices via Twitter. If Gap had a social strategy behind their new (now old) logo I think it's brilliant. @GapLogo on Twitter would agree. Think it was planned?

I met Neil years ago at an iMedia event and have gotten to know him over the years, and have thoroughly enjoyed the “Marketer’s Only” meetings at the iMedia Brand Summits where Neil is the moderator. Those meetings are always the highlight of the Summits for us marketers, as we swap war stories, pick up advice from each other, tackle the latest topics facing our industry and generally meet colleagues from other companies willing to help make an introduction or recommend a partner or agency.

I’m not sure where the idea started, but Neil has been the moderator of those meetings since the beginning and he “feels our pain,” as he likes to say from his days in brand management at McDonalds.

While those are closed-door meetings only for marketers, we won’t have that same luxury at ad:Tech, however I highly recommend any brand marketer who will be arriving prior to Monday afternoon to attend if you can. In addition to the open discussions, I’m certain you can find at least two or three other marketers who can help you navigate the social media waters, pick a new search engine optimization agency, or give some advice on the RFP you are about to send out.

For me, I like to hear how companies are aligning themselves internally as the landscape changes right before our eyes. Who is handling your mobile strategy? Does your digital budget come from the media side or brand? What success have you had getting buy-in from senior management?

This will also be a great way to help you decide which sessions to attend to maximize your time at ad:Tech. I’ll see you there.

Today, we index conversations, static and moving pictures, news and anything else that pops into our heads and ends up on the Internet.  We’ve developed advertising methods that help us monetize text and connect searchers with products and services.

Robots and blue links are being replaced by people and faces. And yet, the true integrated approach to mastering all forms of search engine marketing eludes many advertisers.

Modern digital marketers know that staying ahead means keeping abreast of the latest trends. Masters of the trade on the other hand, know how to understand the trends and turn hype into practical knowledge.

Integrated search marketers need to know how and more importantly why it’s important to understand the latest trends. Slapping a social label on it, doesn’t make it sound marketing. Calling it local, doesn’t mean it’s going to be geographically relevant in the time and place it’s needed.

And the end of it all, an integrated approach has become yet another meaningless buzzword in the arsenal of marketing wisdom tossed around with little or no knowledge the discipline, but meant to establish credibility.

Luckily for us, an integrated approach doesn’t have to be just a buzzword.  You can strive to learn the practices that will help your company grow by interacting with your constituency in the smartest ways possible. Now is the time to learn about the next generation of search, find and connect.