What is social media?

Social media is an online platform where people can meet and interact with each other and or a product/service brand.

Consumers are transforming the media landscape as we speak.  In fact, people of all ages have made social networking a national phenomenon and it is now much more than a pastime for your teenagers.  The most recent research tells us that 350 million users are online and accessing their social networks every day.

Social media statistics:

• There are over 400 million active Facebook users

• Approximately 346 million people read blogs

• 184 million people are active bloggers

•  Twitter has more than 14 million registered users

•  YouTube states that they have approximately 100 million viewers per month

Source-The social media marketing book written by Dan Zarrella

Websites like Twitter, Facebook, FriendFinder, Digg, and You Tube offer up the tools and freedom for the user to build an online audience of “friends” that they can then share information, advice, opinions and more. 

Unlike traditional media where advertising is highly dominated by big business and requires mass interruption to be effective, social media is viral and makes it easy for anyone person or company to create—and, most importantly—distribute their own content virtually all for free. 

Although these new media platforms, in most cases are free, the key to a successful campaign is in your ability to reach users who find you or your product interesting enough to want to share comment or interact with it/you in some manner.  There in lies the power of “social” media. 

The end user now controls your brand position more than ever before.  If they believe in it they can become loyal fans and will help you move your agenda faster than ever before.  On the other hand, if they find issue with it they in turn can erode your brand value just as quickly.  Social networking for business communication requires honesty and transparency at all times.