By Anne Carr, Account and Social Media Director at Bolt Public Relations

What is social media, and what does it have to do with my business?

By now, most people have heard some buzz about Twitter and have created a profile on at least one social network. From Ashton Kutcher and CNN, to your neighbor and favorite pizza place, everyone seems to be talking social media, but few attempt to define it.  In a nutshell, Social media is Web 2.0: instant, interactive, online communication.  Web 1.0 was all about showcasing oneself, while Web 2.0 involves two-way communication and community dialogue in which the line between author and reader is blurred. 

Because brands are put in control of disseminating their messages to specific targets, social media is an essential piece of a business’ marketing strategy. Savvy businesses and organizations utilize social networks to interact with current and prospective clients or customers, introduce new products and services, and launch viral campaigns to engage their markets.  Businesses are not only able to communicate directly with target markets, they can also monitor what others are already communicating about their brands or services. 

To understand what social media is, consider the six main categories:

1. Social Networks.  In general, these sites allow users to build a profile, connect with friends, and interact with others who have similar interests on the site.  No longer just for personal use, professionals are utilizing networks like Facebook and Linkedin to create valuable business connections.

2. Blogs and Micro-blogs.  Blogs are probably the most popular form of social media because they existed before Web 2.0.  Many people write blogs to convey their expertise on a subject, review products, report news, or simply as a diary for all to see.  On the flip side, blogs have become a recognized news source.  The social aspect of blogs involves reader comments and sharing.  Micro-blogs, like Twitter, allow for immediate, brief postings and more interaction.

3. Social Bookmarking.  Social bookmarking sites such as Delicious, Digg, StumpleUpon and Diigo, allow users to access their bookmarks from any computer and share them with others.  Rather than bookmarking a Web page in your Internet browser, you can save it on Delicious to access it from any Internet connection and give your network access to your favorite articles and Web sites.

4. Video Sharing.  Popular video site, YouTube, has become almost synonymous with online videos.  Not only are videos entertaining, they are also highly visible in the search engines.  Other video sharing networks include Blip.tv, Dailymotion, Hulu and Yahoo! video.

5. Podcasts.  These include audio or visual files that are available through subscriptions.  Podcasts consist of live presentations, webinars, teleseminars, radio shows or anything that contains and audio or video file.  iTunes is a hub for all genres of podcasts and anyone can submit a file to be heard around the world.  

6.  Wikis.  These websites contain user-generated content and allow people to add or revise information about a given subject.  Pages become communal documents in an online database. The best-known wiki is Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Other wikis include About.com and Squidoo.

The common thread in each of these social mediums is content creation and distribution.  Social media allows businesses to tell to their own stories and interact with customers and prospects. Since blogs, updates, wikis, and other content are crawled by search engines, it is important for businesses to incorporate keywords into their message output for increased visibility.  The more a business interacts online and produces relevant content, the more likely it will be found by potential customers.  But, remember, don’t forget the social aspect of online communication. While it is good to share your content and be a resource, it is just as important to actively respond, comment on blogs, and engage in conversation. Your current and potential customers will notice, and your bottom line will begin to rise.

Anne Carr is the account and social media director at Bolt Public Relations, LLC (www.boltpr.com), a full-service public relations, copywriting and social media management agency with offices in San Diego and Orange County, Calif.  She teaches social media seminars, is a public speaker, and is a digital PR consultant. To contact Anne, call 760-918-0834 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 Better yet, connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/boltbuzz108.