Forrester has a long tradition of boomerangs— former employees who re-join the company—and I joined their ranks back in January. It’s been an incredibly busy first few months, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The quick re-immersion has meant that I’ve started to solidify my coverage area (social marketing primarily with a bit of overall marketing strategy sprinkled in), had some great collaborations with the rest of the social team (Erna, Jessie and Sam), and already have an updated piece of research to share.

We’ve just published our updated Vision report for the Social Marketing Playbook, Integrate Social Into Your Marketing RaDaR. With the near-ubiquity of social—both in consumers’ lives and marketers’ plans—it’s more important than ever to ensure that you have a strategic, measurable approach to social marketing. This updated report has new data and examples to help you make the most of social across the entire customer lifecycle, making the just-checking-the-box style of social planning as unnecessary as it is obsolete.

Those of you who remember me from my first time around at Forrester know that this focus on social is a return to my roots. I was a practitioner for over a decade before I became an analyst the first time and I’ve never strayed too far from the topic even as I’ve delved into other areas. I’m excited to explore the many ways social has changed over the years and to look ahead at how it’s likely to evolve in the future.

You’ll see a steady stream of research from me and the rest of the social team covering everything from strategy to measurement to technology, and we’ll want to hear about your successes and challenges along the way. If you have a story to share, or if you just want to say hello, don’t be shy: mparrish AT forrester.com or @MelissaRParrish.