The Concept of Social Media

Social media websites evolved from ideas developed in the mid 1990s. Classmate.com introduced the idea of friends on the internet in 1995. People organized and formed ad hoc discussion groups, which became blogs. In less than 10 years the number of blogs on the internet exploded into the hundreds of millions. People with similar ideas, communicating on the internet, are the basis for social networks and social media websites.

Social media is all about people sharing opinions and comments. According to an article entitled Twitter Marketing by Walter M. Prorok, Jr., “Evan Williams, founder of Twitter, was also instrumental in the promotion of blogging.”

Twitter is a micro-blog site in which only 140 characters are allowed per each blog entry. These entries are called tweets.

Twitter has become one of the major social networks on the internet in just two years. According to a February 16, 2009 Network World magazine article entitled Tweet to compete by Jason Meserve:

“While there are hundreds of social networks out there (Bebo, Plaxo. Plurk, Friendfeed and Jaiku, to name a few), most people stick to the big three: FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter.”

Ning.com is a social media site which allows individuals and businesses to develop websites designed specifically for their needs. Text, blogs, video and articles can be combined on your personalized Ning site. Wikipedia notes the following about Ning:

Ning is an online platform for people to create their own social networks [2], launched in October 2005.[1] Ning was co-founded by Marc Andreessen and Gina Bianchini. Twitter and Ning address the fundamental need for connectivity and immediacy of business and people in a way that other web applications haven’t.

These two sites work together in a way that defines a new paradigm for marketing, promotion and sales of products and services in the twenty-first century.

There are many other social media sites on the internet. I use a variety of sites to promote my books and ebooks including Jason’s Network (http://www.jasonsnetwork.com) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com). Having a presence on these sites promotes both my books and ebooks and my name as an author and publisher.

The new paradigm is building relationships with potential customers on a global basis. This is especially critical for small business in an economic downturn. This is the reason I wrote and published my ebook Secrets of Building a Profitable Business Using Twitter and Ning, Making Global Dollars for You.

Sincerely,
H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker & geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Web: http://www.hcourtyoung.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung
Email: info@tmcco.com

*Subscribe to my new ILLUME-Bringing timely issues to light newsletter.
Receive my free 3 part Energy Crisis 101 course - email illume@aweber.com

PS: Join your business to the social media revolution - Find out how -
Purchase and download my $5 Secrets of Building a Profitable Business
Using Twitter and Ning eBook - Visit http://profitableworldofningandtwitter.ning.com