Whether or not you believe in social data, you should recognize the value of unstructured data and how it will transform our world of marketing. Starting with the simple, social networking emerges as the elusive, yet coveted viral component all marketers hope to bag.

Data is the foundation of a successful email-marketing program as collected through demographics, interests, email preferences, Web purchase behavior and more. Although behavioral data - what consumers do, not what they say - is deemed more valuable, you likely will have to rely at least initially on self-reported data provided by opt-in preference centers, surveys and other sources.

Permission is a fundamental tenet of email marketing, of course. It's the cost of doing business, but is only the first step in the relationship between your brand and subscribers. The next step is attention. The objective is to move beyond permission to engaged listening -- and ultimately to anticipation.