Social media is certainly the buzz of today, but what is it, how
can it benefit you? First, let’s stress that if you think social
media is a fad that’s going to disappear you couldn’t be further
from the truth. Social media is a phenomenon and it’s taking the
internet by storm.
Those who were quick to jump on the bandwagon and take the time
to understand social media marketing have already taken their
businesses miles ahead of the competition. Over the next decade,
we can expect social media’s role in marketing and business to
grow by leaps and bounds.
But order to get the most from social networking for online
business, we first need to understand social media and its
components. There are five basic forms of social media. Let’s
have a look at them.
1. Social Networks
These are sites where people build personal and business web
pages and then connect with their Friends and/or family to
communicate, share content and share photos. There are a many
social networks although most of us think of Facebook right
away.
2. Forums
Forums came before social media and were an important
predecessor that remains important today. These are sites were
online discussion are around a specific hobby, topic, or
interest. Information is shared and exchanged and online
communities are built.
3. Blogs
Blogs are a well known and popular form of social media. A blog
is like an online journal. It can be personal or business. They
can be based on a specific topic such as fashion or real estate,
or they can be more like a diary discussing daily events or
news. Blogs
4. Content Communities
Content communities organize and share based on a specific type
of content such as videos or photos. YouTube is the biggest
content community. There are others such as Flickr or
del.icio.us.
5. Microblogging
Microblogging combines social networking and micro blogs, which
are the equivalent of little sound bites. It’s the perfect way
of sharing information for mobile devices. Twitter is an
excellent example of microblogging and they are considered the
leader in the microblogging arena.
Not so long ago it was still beyond the technical skills of
most. Today anyone can create their own content and easily
distribute it to the massed. It's a powerful marketing tool and
a dream come true for online marketers. It's time to take
advantage of it.
