Social media is a term for primarily Internet and mobile-based tools used for sharing and discussing information. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.
Distinction from industrial media
Social media is distinct from industrial media, such as newspapers, television, and film. While social media is a relatively cheap tool that enables anyone (even private individuals) to publish or access information, industrial media is a relatively expensive tool that generally requires significant financial capital.
"Industrial media" is also commonly referred to as "traditional", "broadcast" or "mass" media.
One characteristic shared by both social media and industrial media is the capability to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach zero people or millions of people.
Primarily, social media depends on interactions between people as the discussion and integration of words to build shared-meaning, using technology as a conduit.
Social media is not finite: there is not a set number of pages or hours. The audience can participate in social media by adding comments, by instant messaging or even editing the stories themselves.
Social media marketing
"Social media" signifies a broad spectrum of topics and has several different connotations. In the context of internet marketing, social media refers to a collective group of web properties whose content is primarily published by users, not direct employees of the property (e.g. the vast majority of video on YouTube is published by non-YouTube employees).
Social media optimization (SMO)
SMO is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites.
Social media marketing has two important aspects - SMO and SMM. The first, SMO, refers to on-page tactics through which a webmaster can improve a website for the age of social media. Such optimization includes adding links to services such as Digg, Reddit and Del.icio.us so that their pages can be easily 'saved and submitted' to and for these services.
Social media marketing, on the other hand, is about building ways that fans of a brand or company can promote it themselves in multiple online social media venues.
Some social media marketers offer to write content that is remarkable, unique, and newsworthy. This content can then be marketed by popularizing it or even by creating a “viral” video on YouTube and other video sites, including getting involved in blogs, forums, and niche communities.
What Social Media Marketing is not
Most people confuse it with advertising on social networking site. It is anything but that. Advertising that appears on these social networking sites is more in the form of context or social action based. Networks monitor what the users are doing and place relevant ads next to them with the assumption that they will be clicked.
Social Media Marketing is not about spamming. It is not about copying certain links and spamming it in discussion groups and forums. It is important to create value for the people with whom you are dialoguing.
Social Media Marketing is all about collaboration between people. It is about participating with everyone and sharing information. It is as much about giving as it is about receiving from the group. The premise of social media marketing is engaging with the consumer and providing value. It is important to maintain the sanctity of conversational economy.
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