While many corporations just clearly just don't get social media and the positive impact blogging can have on both the personal brand of executives and employees as well as the overall corporate brand, I'm predicting a bit of a shake-up coming in 2007. In 2007 there will be a dramatic macro-economic consolidation impacting social media. While the social media industry as a whole will continue its overall expansion as well as increasing in acceptance and popularity, 2007 will signal the beginning of a much needed regression to the mean. The consolidations that will occur next year will be reflective of macro- economic fundamentals that occur during early maturation cycles of new industry sectors, and are clearly not unique to the internet or social media, but merely a matter of timing and natural order. This weeding out process occurs in every sector as it matures and is good for the industry, as the sector will become stronger and more credible as a result of the thinning in ranks. Furthermore, macro driven consolidations of this type all follow a similar model, which consists of a market that in its infancy had substantial buy-in from the media, a strong capital flow and over exuberant investors. This scenario usually causes flawed financial modeling, and as Wall Street becomes savvier about what drives the new market, and waning investor sentiment becomes pessimistic based upon poor financial performance, the inevitable consolidation occurs. While social media cannot escape the inevitable correction coming in 2007, it is a sustainable medium that will be a long-term survivor forever changing the way we interact.

Well the consolidations that will occur next year will be reflective of macro- economic fundamentals that occur during early maturation cycles of new industry sectors, and are clearly not unique to the internet or social media, but merely a matter of timing and natural order

Inc. magazine had a recent article about organizations finding ways to reward people for logging or posting mistakes on a company blog. Read more..."Mistakes Were Made" Oct. '06 issue. As mentioned in the article, such internal blogs are rate still. I am hearing more examples of how blogs are being used with the same core capability - communications.