Social Networks to top $1.2 billion in advertising projection in 2008

eMarketer has a report called The Promise of Social Network Advertising

Everyone seems to have woken up to the fact that Social Networks are valuable.

According to eMarketer, 37% of the US internet adults used Social Networking at least once a month and by 2011 that figure will be more like 49%. That might just be some of the fastest growth we've seen even for the internet.

Teens online US Teen Online Social Network Users From emarketer.com

Of course, the younger audiences still lead the way with Teen sites and Networking looking forward to a 2011 with 84% of online teens in the US using one or more Social Networks each month.

When it comes to mega trends, you look toward the youth. Unless you expect all teens to stop making use of Social Networking when they enter the workforce then the future growth of Social Networking is all but assured.

As the industry starts to mature, Social Networking sites will be less about "Poke her" and your current relationship status and more about your business partners, customers and associates.

In other words, don't think of the "social graph" think of the "business network graph". The future is in the Network.