Confused about What Social Media is?

Social Media is an umbrella term for sites like: Facebook, Squidoo, YouTube, Twitter, Digg, and MySpace. Social media is what has evolved from Web 2.0 and as consumers continue to drive the Internet, this social media piece will continue to expand. You’ll see an increased number of social networks spring up. You’ll see more sites like Second Life become the norm, rather than the exception, and you’ll start to find that more and more of your consumers are looking for products online, rather than off.

The best way to understand and navigate social media is to think of the Internet as one big cocktail/networking party. Much like one of these live events you’ll hear a lot of “noise” in the room as hundreds of conversations go on at the same time. You won’t’ want to participate in all of them, just the ones that matter to you on your industry. Such is life in the Web 2.0 world, there are a million (billion?) conversations going on online, participating in all of them would be well, impossible. So pick and chose the ones you want to network with. Find those pockets of conversation and participate, give, listen.