If you’re like us you’ve read your fair share of predictions for 2011. There are a few to read, to say the least.

But what are the biggest trends that span all of them?  In other words, what is the common denominator?

We looked at many predictions across different categories and found the biggest trends that are most likely impacting you no matter your field.

  • Social media (including news and general media)
  • Data (accumulating and managing)
  • Mobile
  • Content

The word cloud below highlights the most common concepts (the larger the word, the more often it was mentioned).

Wordle: 2011 Trends

(Click the image to see the full size version.)

Social media and data are nothing new to 2011 and mobile has been a hot topic since the rise of the smart phone.

Content, however, may be one many of us have not thought about while seeking the latest trends (I know I didn’t).  I think the prevalence of “content” in these predictions undermines the importance of content in the other trends – the importance of creating valuable content in social media; the importance of meaningful content for mobile apps in an increasingly competitive landscape; and the true content buried in the data.

By no means is this a representative list of ALL industries.  Do think there are major trends missing?  In what other ways do you believe content is important?  Let us know in the comments!

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