Social Media has become a big part of our lives, with almost every business and politician, from large to small, using some sort of social media to advertise their products / services / ideas. Like everything, social media needs to be nurtured and takes time to grow. Due to its naturally dynamic nature it needs regular input and updating or it can quickly make your site appear stale.

Below is a quick rundown of the three most popular social media sites we are asked to implement. Of course there are many more (Reddit, Digg, Linkedin etc) but these are the ones of choice at the moment.

Twitter

THE social media of the moment, made famous because of its prolific use by several celebrities, businesses, various other groups and individuals were quick to realise its potential and adopt it.

Due to the nature of site and way it works, it is possible to interact with other users directly, implementing personalised messages and following people who follow you etc, thus introducing a greater degree of personalisation. A well thought out Twitter campaign can do wonders for a company’s online presence; however, you do have to be careful not to come across as spam.

Facebook

THE largest of all the social media sites, at the time of writing it is coming up to its billionth member. Although primarily used by individuals to contact friends etc it can be adopted for corporate use through the use of ‘FanPages’. A very powerful tool if used correctly with some FanPages getting millions upon millions of Fans.

YouTube

THE most popular online video sharing website, used by everyone from international companies to film makers to pop stars, a series of videos can really help raise a company’s profile. A clever marketing video or tutorial etc has the potential to get millions of hits, all of which is free exposure.

As an example, see the ‘Will it blend?’ videos. I series of videos first uploaded by a company in America that produces blenders, the videos have become hugely successful and have garnered them millions of views and followers.