Understanding and maximising the use and value of social media is increasingly becoming a key element of business and marketing strategy. Rather than just being the domain of teenagers within society, social networks are fast becoming a growing slice in the marketing pie.
Blog a.k.a. blogger -or- blogrolling -or- weblog -or- Web log
A Web site (or section of a Web site) where users can post a chronological, up-to-date e-journal entry of their thoughts. Each post usually contains a Web link. Basically, it is an open forum communication tool that, depending on the Web site, is either very individualistic or performs a crucial function for an organization or company. There are three basic varieties of blogs: those that post links to other sources, those that compile news and articles, and those that provide a forum for opinions and commentary. Part of the appeal of blogging is that the programs you use to publish your insights on the World Wide Web are easy-to-use and you do not have to be a programmer, or even know how to code.
Facebook is a website (referred to as a "social utility") that connects people with friends and others who work, study, and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. It is considered a social networking site because people it contains profiles, semi-persistent public commentary on the profile, and a traversable publicly articulated social network displayed in relation to the profile (which basically means you can view information about a person, make comments to them, and see who their friends are). Founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes from their Harvard dorm room, it moved its base of operations to Silicon Valley 4 months later and by December of the same year, had 1 million users.
Skype
An Internet company that enables users to make phone calls over the Internet to anywhere in the world. The software continues to improve to serve the market, for example, language translations are available to connect people speaking different languages around the globe, and their IM (instant messaging) feature is hugely popular.
Twitter a.k.a. tweeting
A play on words, "twittering" refers to telling a global community of friends and strangers what you are doing at the present moment. It comes from the original meaning of uttering a succession of small sounds (like a bird) or to chatter rapidly about of trivial matters.
In the online world, use of the term twittering (or "tweeting") started on the messaging service and social networking website "twitter.com." Twitter is a service that lets subscribers send quick notes (limited to 140 characters, or about 20 words) to the cell phones and Web sites of people who have decided to follow them. While many people find it unlikely that anyone should care about the nano-activities of someone's life, this technology has far-reaching applications including automated notifications.
People are now using twitter as a business application to drive traffic to their websites because you can include links within your short updates. Many bloggers now use twitter as a way to spread their new posts. In these instances, the emphasis is on link sharing as opposed to status updates. The best way to implement this is to infuse your messages with honest updates, and every third or every fourth update include a link (so as to not annoy your followers).
YouTube
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and email.
Everyone can watch videos on YouTube. People can see first-hand accounts of current events, find videos about their hobbies and interests, and discover the quirky and unusual. As more people capture special moments on video, YouTube is empowering them to become the broadcasters of tomorrow.
