Because it is such a large conglomerate, some don’t know the answer to the question, “what is social media?”  Let’s take a look at what is social media.  It is any content that is created by individuals or companies using the online medium.  Basically, the people that used to be daily readers of news are now the providers using the new technologies that are available.  Today, people use social media for political, personal and business use.  It can also be called consumer generated media (CGM) or user generated content (UGC).

What Is Social Media and What Are its Benefits?

Social media is less expensive when compared to industrial or broadcast media such as film, television and newspapers.  Benefits definitely outweigh the costs as you get free links instead of buying them.  Further, it can be used to reach both small and large audiences.  It requires little or no training or specialized skill to operate this form of communication.  Unlike traditional media, there is no time lag as instantaneous response is possible.  Social media can be altered, edited or changed by adding comments so in terms of permanence it definitely outranks other media.  Lastly, it can seamlessly fit with any existing marketing campaign that you are targeting.

Common Social Media Sites

Here is another way to answer the question, what is social media.  It can take different forms like pictures, videos, podcasts, weblogs, wikis, forums and blogs.  Some technologies involved include picture sharing, wall postings, vlogs, instant messaging, email, crowdsourcing, music sharing and voice over IP.  You may be aware of social media applications such as MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Google Groups, Twitter, Flickr, Jaiku, and Open Diary.

The Business Benefit

What is social media to a modern day business?  Today, businesses are using social media marketing to generate sales, opportunity and exposure to their products and services.  Not only does it increase primary and secondary traffic but companies can also build business partnerships through social media.  SMO or Social Media Optimization is also growing in importance as firms want to generate publicity through online communities and websites. 

Gaining popularity on sites like Digg, del.icio.us and Reddit helps in getting high quality links.  When your website receives natural and permanent links from reputable domains, it creates credibility with the search engines.  This allows for the possibility of ranking high for competitive keywords which will bring web visitors to the site in huge numbers.

While a website is a static billboard, social media offers more up-to-date communication options and allows dynamic dialogue with your prospective customers.