Each of these side conversations evolves as diff erent people enter and leave, moving from one group to another, perhaps taking the thoughts and opinions from a group on one side of the room and expressing them to a group on the other side of the room.
All of the tools that enable social networking fall under the umbrella term “social media,” and can be found throughout the Web. Product reviews left by customers on a shopping site, for example, constitute social networking through social media, as does a stand-alone blog, and reader comments on a news article.
Social media involves all of the tools that facilitate the online conversation; however, the defi nition of a “social media site” is a site built specifi cally to facilitate a user’s personal expression and interaction with others—such as MySpace, Facebook, and My Yearbook. Although diff erent business models exist for each social media site, advertising, rather than e-commerce, is the primary source of revenue. Social networking sites are based on the ability of users to communicate freely with friends, family and strangers. Th ese sites typically include blogging capabilities, photo, and video sharing options, message boards, chat rooms, and more. For marketers, the ability to reach users through social media networks creates a unique opportunity, both in increased awareness and perceived brand acceptance on behalf of the target market.