The Future of Influence

Online users trust the advice of other users — even those they've never met — more than they trust any other source of information, including product Web sites, advertisements, newspaper and magazine articles, and professional product reviews. And thanks to the growing popularity of social media, more people now influence each other in more ways than ever before. But as millions more users flock to social media, the sheer volume of reviews, recommendations and advice will start to become overwhelming — we'll all be lost in a sea of influence.

In this session, Forrester Principal Analyst Nate Elliott will present his vision for the future of influence: how users will return their focus to the advice of those they trust the most; how users will seek out tools that help them filter the influential messages that are most relevant to them; and how the sites, services, and vendors who find ways to help users put reviews and advice into proper context will win the attention and adoration of the online world.

Nate Elliott

Nate brings more than a decade of experience in online marketing and media to his work, including roles with DoubleClick, Adobe, and the IAB, as well as nearly six years of experience at JupiterResearch and Forrester Research. He is a native of Syracuse, NY, and a graduate of Cornell University. He lives in Vancouver, BC.