Social predictions for the conversation age 2011 : MSL Group

According to Olivier Fleurot, CEO of Paris-based MSL Group, the report provides a list of trends based on ideas and technologies that have been around for a short while - those becoming ripe for adoption.

"You won't get a list of the technologies that will become massively popular three years from now - that's not our aim. But you will get ideas, and hopefully inspiration, that you can immediately put to the test," he added.

The e-magazine with the list of actionable ideas has been compiled by the group's most senior social media experts in Europe, Asia and the Americas. 

Here are the five concepts included in the e-publication:

1. Going shopping, going local. According to the report, this is the year to use social networks and mobile technology as a platform for promotions. Retail brands will increasingly combine the power of discount with that of social shopping by offering special promotions. In the immediate future, retail brands will use a variety of platforms so keep an eye on the Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare face-off.

Also, mobile screens will become the new face of in-store display advertising as retail brands take advantage of smartphones to let users find products on the fly. 

2. Getting personal-spans everything from individual curated newspapers (Paper.li) to corporate websites providing a tailored yet social experience. Getting closer to peope means brands have to care more about them. In addition to social networkers reevaluating their friend selection and sharing, brands will shift the focus from quantity to quality of fans and place more value on meaningful interactions. 

3. Drawing a good story.The rise of data visualisation and transmedia provides pretty much everyone with a new way to tell his or her story. The more content in a story, the more media buys and chances for brands to participate. Journalists and PR people will tango over schematics, academics will provide jaw-dropping presentations, everyday people will become filmmakers and markers will join, and sometimes lead, the conversation.

4. Watching out. Mainstream social networks will struggle to balance user experience and privacy with monetisation, for which the pressures will prevail. Government censorship and surveillance of the internet will become the norm as both open democracies and authoritarian regimes moves to limit online freedom of expression and anonymity in the wake of the Wikileaks saga. 

5. Reaching a higher plateau through deeper collaboration. Companies will become more adept at using social networks to provide customer service and using their in-house networks (many of which are modeled on Facebook or Twitter) to make decisions. 

As people continue to crave good news from companies in the wake of the BP oil spill and financial crisis, corporations will start seeing the benefits of adopting a 'value for all' approach, including working in the public's best interest, sustainability, accountability and showing concern to the communities they touch.