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It’s a term coined by Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live And Do Business (Wiley, 2009).

      Social media is people connecting, doing business, making recommendations and staying in touch without borders or resistance. It spreads content faster and easier than we’ve seen or imagined. That’s what all the hoopla is about: Email can reach a few dozen people in a day and stop there. A tweet can reach a few million people, in minutes, and live online forever.

      To get a sense of the size and scope, consider what occurs across the social media landscape approximately every 60 seconds:

       2,000,000+ videos are viewed on YouTube

       695,000+ status updates are posted to Facebook

       98,000+ tweets are sent on Twitter

       21,000+ new posts are published on Tumblr

       13,000+ iPhone applications are downloaded

       6,600+ new pictures are uploaded to Flickr

       3,700+ blog posts are published

       320+ new accounts are established on Twitter

       100+ new accounts are established on LinkedIN

       170+ new blogs are established

      Every 60 seconds. Of every day, of every week.

      At the time of this writing, those numbers continue to rise precipitously.

      Social media as a form of communication is not only tectonic, it’s timeless. While the specific platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) may be ephemeral (just look at Friendster and MySpace), the technology itself is enduring. That said, it’s important for you to understand what’s out there now so you can take part—and take advantage of this remarkable shift in how people connect, communicate and consume content. Let’s take a look at five of today’s most relevant platforms.

      Facebook

      Fast approaching 800 million users, Facebook is arguably the king of all social media. We’re relatively sure it was founded in February 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg along with his roommates and fellow computer science classmates Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. I say relatively sure because, as the film The Social Network loosely documents, there is some question as to just how much credit Mark Zuckerberg should get. However, as actor Jesse Eisenberg (who plays Zuckerberg in the film) says to Armie Hammer (who plays one of the Winklevoss twins who alleged Zuckerberg stole their idea): “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.” Regardless, Zuckerberg is certainly responsible for making Facebook the success it is today.

      Here’s how the story goes: In late 2003, Zuckerberg created “Facemash,” which The Harvard Crimson likened to the site “Hot or Not”—a virtual beauty contest of sorts that allowed users to compare two student photos and vote on whom they believed to be the hotter person.

      For the first two years, Facebook was the province of the young—a stigma that lingers—but though it was originally intended as a way for college students to share their experiences, it metamorphosed into the most prolific communication platform in human history, and Baby Boomers are now the site’s fastest-growing demographic. That’s largely because Facebook has made it so fabulously easy to keep in touch with friends, family and any organization you care about. As New York Times best-selling author Gary Vaynerchuck said, Facebook is close to becoming the permanent “plumbing” of the Web itself. Some experts also believe a Facebook page is the most important online presence a business can have.

      Success Story: Virgin America

      Virgin gets branding—and they get social media. On the Virgin America Facebook page, you can view photos and videos that draw you into the Virgin culture; you can receive exclusive discounts on airline tickets; you can even check in with your mobile device. Take a look at: http://www.facebook.com/VirginAmerica to glean more insights into how your business might use Facebook to drive awareness, engagement, evangelism—and sales! With more than 160,000 likes, the Virgin America Facebook page has achieved great success, because they take the time to deliver relevant, worthwhile content and listen to their customers.

      Actionable insight (business): If you don’t already have a Facebook page, make one. If you have one, make it better. Populate it with content that appeals to your target audience. For example, if you make cleaning products, post articles about how to keep a cleaner home, or how to save time doing so. Also, build a customized “landing page” with a clear call to action for visitors. If you have a travel agency, your primary “call to action” might be a form right on your Facebook page that allows people to configure and book a trip. Sell cars? Do the same thing: let people build their cars right from Facebook and submit a form to your dealership. Rather than immediately driving people back to your website, let them do as much as possible within the social platform itself; that’s where they are and where they’re most comfortable.

      Actionable insight (personal): Facebook can be a time suck, particularly if you use it to connect with the wrong people. If you didn’t like Chip back when you were in ninth grade chemistry together, you probably don’t like him now. So instead of adding friends and accepting requests from every insignificant corner of your life, use Facebook to share and connect with the people who matter in your life (and consider limiting it to one or two circles rather than mixing friends, family, colleagues and more—just as you wouldn’t invite all these people to the same party for fear they won’t all mesh, the same can be true of virtual meet-ups, sometimes even more so when it’s just words on a screen). Configure your privacy settings so that undesirable people cannot find you (or view absolutely everything you’ve uploaded—pictures, videos, status updates). You’ll save time (and face!) and enjoy it more.

      Twitter

      Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that allows you to set up your own page and start tweeting—or posting content—in minutes. Those tweets automatically go out to people who choose to follow you (they need to be registered for the service, too), but people can also search for your page (even if they’re not registered) and read everything you’ve ever tweeted. Here’s the fun part: Tweets are limited to 140 characters. Not words…characters! Communicating this way may sound challenging, but it is what makes Twitter so appealing. You don’t have to wade through wordy diatribes and manifestos (like, say, this book!). Theoretically, you must say more with less—be quick and pithy. William Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson and Robert Southey probably would have approved:

       Shakespeare (from Hamlet): “Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.”

       Jefferson: “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”

       Southey: “It is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn.”

      Twitter benefits you in two ways: You can share and learn in one place. For example, I currently follow my wife, CARE, CNN, The Economist, the UN Refugee Agency and the Tour de France (it’s July and what a Tour!). I get all of the updates and news from the people and organizations I care about in concise, authentic vignettes—all on my page, as they happen.

      Serial entrepreneur Jack Dorsey hatched the idea for Twitter in March 2006, and it took flight that July.

      According to The New York Times,

       Twitter was born in 2006 as a side

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