Week 13 - Clear - Social Media

In this day and age if you are not somehow connected via social media you may feel lost!  But what exactly is social media?  How is social media used? What is the difference between types of social media?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanrnicholson/6448938355/

Social media can be defined as a group of Internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, that allow creation and exchange of user generated content.

Social media can be used for individual purposes or business purposes.  When social media is used for individual purposes it is used as a tool to interact with friends and family, for gaming, to share photos, videos, etc., to share ideas and thoughts.  When social media is used for business purposes it used to advertise, promote a brand, customer relations and experience, a platform for exposure or a cause.

So what are the most popular types of social media and how are they different?

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facebook - Facebook is the most used social media site.  Facebook allows users to add friends, chat, "Like" pages, add photos and videos, network, receive news feeds, video call, add status updates, post on a friends wall and the list goes on!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/woofer_kyyiv/3581392721/

Twitter - On Twitter, users tweet.  Which means that users can update what they are doing, where they are and what they like with a few keystrokes and followers (whether they are registered with Twitter or not) can see what you are up too!   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bizbuzzmedia/5261419117/

Linkedin - Linkedin is similar to Facebook, but geared more toward the professional user.  On Linkedin you have connections, contact networks, can post photos and resumes, allows employers to search for you, allows the user to search for jobs from specific companies and more!