As the world has gotten smaller with new gadgets and with the internet being integrated with them sharing information with other has gotten so much easier. A click of a mouse or a keypad can bring you the world in an instant and can connect you with millions of people worldwide. Talk about word of mouth, information can be shared quickly and to large audiences.
The Internet has changed also. In the Web 2.0 era social media has been the predominant source of information from the World Wide Web. We can get facts, stories, opinions and much more from each other that are in depth and with added opinions from all types of people. Social media has changed the way we get information and changed the way we socialize at the same time.
Leading the social media wave are Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter in social communication. Information about anything can be found and discussed with a messaging from your computer or from your cell phone. From news about a disaster to news about your friends we are all becoming informed thoroughly and with the ability to share our understanding within a matter of seconds.
Social bookmarking sites like Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon also give us the chance to share and to comment on stories we find interesting and captivating. We can contribute a story and discuss it with people world wide.
Wikipedia is a world wide encyclopedia that everybody can contribute for free. We can socially create a database of knowledge and share it with the world. Social media is not limited to messaging and articles. We can social network videos on YouTube and pictures on Flickr for instance.
There are many forums online now that are topic specific and that give people a "forum" to interact with others from everywhere directly about the topics. Discussions can be informative, entertaining and helpful just like the other social media sites.
Social media has changed traditional news online also. News online is getting more and more interactive with its viewers allowing comments on stories, discussion forums and blogs with opinionated posts with comment feedback. Citizen journalism is also something to look for more in the future.
Social media is the best source of information sharing and connecting with many different people that have different points of views and insights that we could not find easily.
Social media is one of these new technologies that the average person is not going to know about until they do some research. It also requires that you create a strategy for how to use these new forms of marketing to benefit your business the most. You may actually need to have a business meeting with yourself and create a social media strategy.
There are a couple of things you must address when you determine how to properly use social media.
1. First of all what is the goal that you're trying to achieve with them? Are you trying to educate your readers and at same time brand yourself as an expert with credibility?
2. Are you trying to make sales for products you represent?
3. Maybe you are just trying to build a list for future follow up!
Social media tools are really only as good as the way you use them. For example blogging is a fantastic way to put your thoughts online very quickly. It is something that doesn't require a special skill and anybody can do it
Adding video to your website or blog is a little harder. This will require that you not only learn how to record a video, but that you also learn how to get it online where people can view it.
Video is very appealing and is interactive with your reader. However, so is blogging when you allow your visitors to post comments, add content, take surveys, and so on. You may even want to do both of these but again, your strategy will determine whether you're going to learn new skills or not.
One thing that is fantastic about social media is how it allows you to create a community within your business. You could set up your own discussion forum if you wanted.
You could join existing social networks such as Facebook or eEntrepreneur. These are excellent places to meet potential business partners and build your business using social media this way.
You may not even know exactly the social media strategy that you are looking for right now. Try different things and see what appeals to you. The key is determining exactly what you want to get from the social media that you are involved in and then be consistent in how you do it.
Both Musa Aykac & David Ogden are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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