Internet Word of Mouth Marketing Trends in 2008

Sam Fleming writes up an interesting article about the trends he sees in Internet Word of Mouth Marketing in the coming year in China. Here are some quick takeaways:

• He predicts a greater interaction of brands, via the Internet, as well as more sites branding themselves as social networking sites (SNS).
• He also says, “…self expression on the internet in China is driven by self exploration of different identities that netizens may feel inhibited to explore offline. Self exploration is better done anonymously. ” In saying this, he predicts ‘netizens’ will still not buy into using real names.
• Facebook still has too many competitors in China to have the power that it has in the U.S.
• PR firms in China are still looking to mainstream media; however, they need to refocus in order to be a part of the Word of Mouth Marketing on the net.
•  Vertical SNS sites will emerge.