I gave my basic predictions for 2011 in a post a few weeks ago but as the year ends I want to add one more, as I promised, mostly based on conversations with SocialCoco, BrandTology and Collective Intellect over the last days.

There is  a movement in 2011 towards integration of social listening with the ability to take action; companies that invested in technology intelligently, developed the lexicon, methodologies and visualization skills to intelligently employ  improvements in semantic technologies are now fully  leveraged to take advantage of the far more powerful capabilities now coming on the market and maturing.

Those who have not invested are not focusing on the right things will fall behind, possibly perish – that is my final prediction this year for 2011.

How do you recognize elements of the right investments in process and technologies?  (this is my opinion only)

- Automated abilities to build Social Brand Maps with the ability to scan massive amounts of social profiles

- models for audience acquisition and content development

- Technologies and Intelligence around Geo-Location and Checkins

- Next level of Theme Clustering and Dimension Mapping

-Automated Categorization  merged with Social CRM and automated routing/action engine

There’s a real battle in MarCom as well, many, well … way to many, failed to recognize the power and true assets lie in the Data  with Quant Analysis, and ultimately, with the Analysts …. they are in for several rude awakenings in 2011.