Social Media Phenomenon

Social Networking

The rapid emergence of social networking over the past five years is nothing short of a phenomenon. Social networking and blogs are now more popular than e-mail.  “Social networking has become a fundamental part of the global online experience.” According to John Burbank, Nielsen Online’s CEO.

Social Media is part of Web 2.0. With Web 2.0 the potential exists to create an interactive, dynamic environment where individuals, consumers and business collaborate, communicate and share.  It is viral by nature.

A growing number of news publishers have adapted their strategies from simply having websites to participating in social media through active use of sites like Twitter to drive awareness and conversation around their brands and offerings.  CNN and the New York Times have some of the largest following on Twitter.  Source: Nielsen Report

According to Michael Stelzner who published the Social Media Marketing Industry Report, the people most likely to use Social Media Marketing, are aged between 30 and 39 years.  Certainly, for people new to Social Media, there are many questions that come to mind. These questions are asked by Entrepreneurs, Business Owners/Executives of any size company and Service Professionals.

What Is Social Media Marketing?

Social Media Marketing can be defined as an engagement with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales.  It’s the online conversation among customers, investors, employees, fans and critics.  The power is shifting from corporations to individuals and communities.

This is the new model that is part of Web 2.0 where people use the Web’s potential for creating an interactive, dynamic environment where individuals, consumers and businesses can collaborate and communicate in new and simpler ways.

The Social Media model enables a number of things:

• informing
• persuading
• involving
• demonstrating
• reminding

Above all,  Social Media Marketing is free! All it takes, is a time commitment and using Social Media tools according to a predefined strategy. In this day and age it makes sense to use Social Media to promote your business.

To find answers on the 10 most asked questions, read this special report to understand how marketers are using Social Media to grow and promote their businesses.