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The table is set for 2012 to be the most exciting and monumental year to date in the online and social media world. Of course, one could accurately state this notion at the beginning of every year since technology and natural evolution constantly make our world more unpredictable than the last.

As businesses continue to struggle to find their path (no pun intended) on social media sites, will 2012 be an all-or-nothing year? Will businesses give up on it or will they go all-in without looking back ever again?

How will all of the young startups disrupt the space? Which companies will reign supreme at the end of the year?

While I don’t claim to have any sort of crystal ball, I’d like to think that my involvement in the space for 8+ years allows me to be well-qualified to issue my predictions and expectations. At the very least, it will be fun for all of us to review this list next year when I create a new one of these for 2013.

1. Checking in to locations will get creepier and more dangerous.

Although I was (very) early on Foursquare (2007), I never invested fully into the whole “let people know where I am all the time” mentality. To this day, I often cringe when I see some of my friends publicly announce their vacation information as they check into their lavish hotel for their 2-week stay in Hawaii. While some might argue that this sharing is only taking place on a private network of trusted friends, as more networks start aggregating updates around the web, information like this may pass through the wrong hands. Because of this, we will undoubtedly see more theft, fraud, and downright criminal acts due to the constant oversharing of private information this year.

2. Brands will stop needing to place SM icons in their ads.

Over the last 3 months, I haven’t met a business owner, musician, or even independent consultant that didn’t have their own branded Facebook page. I think we’ve now reached the point where brands don’t need to waste precious real estate on creative assets to proclaim their presence on such sites. If your customers want to follow you on Twitter, they will search to find your page. 2012 will hopefully be the year where brands stop thinking they’re “ahead of the game” by listing social icons next to their logo everywhere they appear and accept it as “normal business practice.”

3. Facebook’s growth will plateau.

I don’t want to make the false assumption that people are getting sick of Facebook, but in my opinion, people are starting to grow irritated with their aggressive methods of monetization and constantly changing features. I don’t necessarily think anything will change in terms of market share and engagement in 2012 (with the exception of growth in Google+), but I do feel that their rate of growth will plateau, which could make 2013 (not 2012) an exciting year for network share with worthy competition.

4. Most businesses will struggle to realize a “positive ROI.”

I don’t want the reader to misunderstanding this prediction. Social Media Marketing definitely CAN and DOES yield a positive ROI for businesses. However, it only does so for the businesses that take it seriously and do it correctly. For all of the rest of the businesses out there struggling to find their audience, they will continue to pull out their hair as they try to weigh the value in their unimpressive efforts.

5. Online media will penetrate the living room.

I know this has already reigned true with massive growth in 2011 with AppleTV, GoogleTV, and Samsung’s Smart TVs, but 2012 possesses an exciting opportunity to change the entire landscape of media consumption for good. This could come in the form of external devices that connect to your basic television screens or the culmination of more “smart” televisions that incorporate the web into the viewing experience.  Regardless of how, there is no doubt that those cable and satellite providers are shaking in their boots as online groups like Amazon and Hulu come up with viable alternatives.

6. Text message marketing will die before it even really existed.

If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you to invest in text message marketing. It seemed like a no-brainer at the time. A few years later, it seems that the concept was too good to be true for businesses. The fact of the matter is that customers don’t want to be bothered by your random messages at any given time. Today, it’s more of an “I’ll come to you consumer landscape” that pleads for a consumer’s peace when it is so desired. After all, isn’t that type of marketing what email is for?

7. QR codes will die before they even really existed.

Like #6, a few years ago I thought QR codes were going to be a big hit for business. In 2011, outside of the occasional business card and hanging flyer on the window of a storefront, this is an under-utilized technology that seems to be struggling to catch on. Although the idea of it will always be “cool,” it looks like we’re looking at yet another innovation that just yields too much time and confusion than it does a positive return.

8. More brands will establish “in-platform” shopping experiences.

This is one of the more exciting items on this list. I am super stoked to see how e-commerce will change for the social landscape in 2012. No more should I have to visit the Express website to buy that blazer I want. If I already like them on Facebook, I should be able to buy that item without leaving Facebook. I know that Facebook always had this in their plans, but the problem has always been the vendors. In 2012, we’ll start to see more adaptation of this model – making for an improved consumer experience and more dangers for brick-and-mortars out there.

9. Google+ will impact search results in ways you don’t expect.

At the time I am publishing this, I am simultaneously poking around the new “Google Plus Your World” rollout for Google search. We’ve already seen the subtle impacts that Google+ made on search in 2011, but as their market share and user base grows, we’ll start to see an increased amount of social content in the SERPs by default. Of course, this only applies when a user is logged into their Google account, but the idea here is that more and more people will join and start using Google+ for all of its perks. Consequently, the glory days of basic SEO tactics will be facing its imminent demise.

10. Amazon will become the new Apple.

I haven’t been as excited about a CEO and business leader as I am about Jeff Bezos and what Amazon is doing since my obsession with Apple and Steve Jobs several years ago. Amazon is making waves right now not only with the recent release of the Kindle Fire, but more importantly, their increasing growth in Prime Memberships. Prime will be the catalyst that takes Amazon to the retail market with actual storefronts and enable the brand to conquer Netflix in 2012. With the Fire, they already have the screen; and with Prime, they have your life-long trust and loyalty. Add their incredible customer service, and you are left with what will become the biggest brand in the world in 2012 and beyond.

In Conclusion

What do you think will happen in tech and social media in 2012? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.