It's a phenomenon that has its roots right back at the dawn of the Internet and online communications. But social media has come on leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, becoming one of the most popular and widely used methods of interaction.

First of all it was MySpace. They took off with a bang after a number of mediocre successes from the likes of Friendster. With the ability to upload images, movies and interact within a community, MySpace tapped into a whole new resource. However, in recent years, it has had its power usurped by upstarts such as Twitter and of course Facebook; bringing extra diversity and improved competition.

Today though, the power of social media has never been greater. Its potential to reach out and communicate with a diverse audience has been quickly identified by businesses and marketers throughout the world. But with something as powerful and largely unmediated as web 2.0, there are dangers as well as positives.

When used properly and to its optimal effect, there's no doubting that social media, whether using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or any of the other multimedia formats, can provide unprecedented free marketing. But herein lies one of the many pitfalls of using such a diverse source. Users have become immune to, and worse still, are finding themselves turning against spammers.

A spammer is essentially someone who offers nothing except flagrant self-promotion. They'll use whatever resource is available to them to provide links and tell the world how good they are. This excessive exposure does little to offer potential customers anything in the way of confidence.

The key to social media is in its title, it's all about social interaction. Twitter isn't a pathway to guaranteed untold riches. If you are to become successful on any social site, you need to earn the trust of the community and offer a relevant service. Just as a business might offer fantastic customer service that can soon be ruined by poor front of house salesmanship; the same ideology should also be applied to their online ventures.

As with anything in business you don't get something for nothing. You have to work on your social media presence and become an expert in your field. Interact with the community, answer questions promptly and reliably whilst also getting across that strong message which will drive customers to your site - after all, that is still your primary objective lest we forget.

There is an opinion amongst some that social media is to be feared. Yes it can be used negatively, disgruntled employees may revolt and unhappy customers might put the boot in; but if you're confident in your company and the product that you offer, then you shouldn't have any concerns whatsoever. There are professional agencies available who can handle your accounts, if of course you can't do it in house. This will provide you with the expert service without any of the fuss.

It is one of the most popular and cost-effective resources available today. Allowing your business to sidetrack it completely could well be a huge mistake. There are no guarantees of success, but if you're struggling (or even if you're not) to reach out to your customers; social media could well be the solution for you.