While the buzz in 2009 was all about social networks as a function of the Web, in 2010, marketers’ attention will focus increasingly on the ways social networks are becoming the medium for communicating on mobile devices. Video is likely to play a key role as well, as mobile users are “socializing” video from their devices to a far greater extent than they are watching it.

I wrote about this phenomenon and other key trends in mobile marketing in my latest iMedia Connection column, which went live today. Following is a clip from the full article:

Consolidation among mobile ad networks is clearly lining up to be a major theme in the year ahead. Even so, achieving scale in display advertising on mobile devices is just one piece in a much larger puzzle — that of using mobile to showcase full-blown marketing and commerce experiences.

Marketers often talk glowingly about mobile’s flexibility and how effective it is at activating other media. However, mobile has traditionally been a less effective vehicle than other media for end-to-end consumer experiences. In order for mobile to reach mass adoption among marketers, the medium has to develop beyond its core strengths in communication and messaging.

Fortunately, startup activity is rife across many keys areas of the mobile sector, and the next 12 to 18 months should see many of the missing pieces fall into place. The continued fusion of mobile and social and the appetite for apps (among both consumers and brands) will facilitate more involved marketing experiences. In fact, location- and social-aware apps and utilities will be a key avenue for brands looking to engage consumers on the go.

Mobile advertising will likewise grow more sophisticated, with improved targeting capabilities and richer, more engaging options across multiple channels, from apps to browsers to SMS. Augmented reality (AR) seems destined to generate more ink than activity or revenue in 2010, given the limited number of mobile handsets that support it, but AR is worth keeping an eye on nonetheless because of what it portends for the future of mobile marketing. It represents an innovative way of creating a virtual overlay to the physical world by combining and maximizing on-board device features (e.g., camera, GPS, accelerometer, broadband connectivity).

With the rise in mobile broadband access and the proliferation of multimedia smartphones, video viewing (and consequently, video advertising) is set to become a more integral part of the mobile experience. Paid content models such as iTunes will continue to expand to mobile devices, but the growth in mobile web and application usage will also create opportunities for marketers to engage with viewers in both professional and user-generated video content.

The article takes a detailed look at different segments in the mobile marketing space and profiles a number of companies to watch, so be sure to read through to the end to get the complete picture.

I just submitted a draft of new report on mobile social networking, which should be released in early November. It’s a fast-emerging space, and yet another example of consumers moving much faster than marketers. In other words, there are a lot more mobile users on social networks than there are marketers.

Part of the reason is the both mobile and social are emerging channels. Combine the two of them together, and well, you have an even less mature proposition. Not necessarily a lack of marketing opportunities, but more complications getting programs off the ground, as I learned from conversations with marketing executives. For example, here’s a snippet from my interview with Adam Broitman, co-founder of Cir.cus:

eMarketer: Where do you see responsibility for mobile social programs coming from?

Mr. Broitman: We still haven’t even fully defined who’s responsible for social, so when it comes to mobile-social, the process becomes even more complicated.

Adam’s sentiment was echoed by my friend and former eMarketer colleague, David Berkowitz, now senior director of emerging media & innovation at digital agency 360i, and steward of the excellent Inside the Marketers Studio blog. Here’s a short excerpt from that interview:

eMarketer: What kinds of challenges do marketers face, both internally in their own companies as well as externally facing the market, in getting mobile social networking programs going?

Mr. Berkowitz: Some of it, right off the bat, is just figuring out who owns mobile.

My questions to you:

• Who’s responsible for mobile, social and mobile-social marketing in your company?
• How have you successfully resolved internal ownership issues?