Social Media - The Down Low

There are a lot of terms being thrown around at this time - Web2.0, New Media, Social Media, User Generated Content. It 'hard to keep up with all the ways that we, as citizens of the web can work online.

The playground of Social Media is so diverse that everyone can have a little 'oppressive. With new sites being launched this week can sometimes be a bit 'hard to keep up with everything. In this first part of a series of five on Social Media you will discover exactly what social media is, how it evolved and why it has become a valuable tool and marketing personnel.

The evolution of Social Media

By the end of this five part series is expected to easily navigate this topic. But let's start with learning a little 'more about the birth of what became known as Consumer Generated Media and how marked the change in the way we use the Internet.

Internet and software that is designed to work on it made it so easy for anyone to publish content and making content accessible to millions of people. In fact, consumers have given voice to express their opinions to a mass audience. Gone are the days when the Internet was only for corporate web sites search and porn blog ... Today the Internet is for each of its users - we can help, we can share our thoughts, our videos, our resources - in short, we as a people are shaping what is out there and has no voice goes unheard.

Online conversations are held daily in the form of Consumer Generated Media and PR, as it has traditionally focused on the media, written by journalists, the most reliable sources for modern consumers are ordinary people about their experiences of communication. In a survey conducted by Forrester Research, 25% of the respondents said they trusted the opinions of other consumers above all other forms of advertising media or referral. According to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer more credible source of information on a company is ... "A person like me."

And 'why engage in social media can be of great benefit to both individuals and businesses.

Social Media

Wikipedia defines social media as "online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself."

In recent years there has been a massive growth of blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networking sites and moblog - together form what is loosely known as Social Media, the ability for anyone to publish any content without the cost and obstacles associated with traditional media. This new editorial freedom has led to an explosion of new content.
We see more and more examples of Social Media integration into the landscape of traditional media. Journalists are blogs, YouTube and Facebook are making headlines and television commercials are several examples of CGM, to name a few. This new support is embracing traditional media and the borders are increasingly blurred - in short, a new challenge for the media has begun.

In recent years hundreds of social media type sites were launched and over the coming weeks we will deal with these different types as well as major players in each field:

oPhoto Sharing

Ovideo Sharing

oNews Sharing

Networks oSocial

oBlogging

oForums

The Benefits of Social Media

oSocial media tends to have a greater impact among those who have become quite insensitive to traditional advertising. They choose to engage with your advertising when it is done in the social media landscape, but are simply displayed in the traditional media.

average potential oSocial going viralis one of its greatest advantages - if users, such as content that will share with their communities.

oSocial media allows you to create an online community for your brand and its supporters.

Average oSocial can tie in perfectly with your other marketing tactics online - a holistic eMarketing is always the best strategy.

oSocial media allows you to interact with an online community and allows you to connect your brand to the appropriate audience.

oSocial media has created a ORUM evangelists for the brand. Companies should embrace as well as users with this monitor negative opinions of your brand has access to the forum itself.

Othe different platforms provide access to a community with interests similar to yours - a network without boundaries.

Othe numerous interactions allow you to collect feedback from your community.

oFeedback from social media sites helps to drive both business as well as future marketing strategies.

othe media range allows you to learn more about your audience's tastes, dislikes, behavior, etc. Never before has this much information is available to marketing - market research just got a nice little 'less.

oNiche targeting just got much easier!

As with all Consumer Generated Media, there are enormous risks and opportunities. Social Media facilitates a two-way conversationbetween customer and company. This requires that the company moves the approach to "distribute and looking" at a constant involvement with the public .......