Words, pictures, videos, audio and whatnot. Businesses refer to it as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM). Some call it scandalous, poisonous, infectious, as it links others to the word of mouth in a flash. That’s the power of Social Media.

Wikipedia defines Social Media as “information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies that is intended to facilitate communications, influence and interaction with peers and with public audiences, typically via the internet and mobile communications networks.” Ideas through Social Media circulate as fast as scandal. Potential customers are out there, sniffing around for deals and partners while competitors are exploring ways to harvest new ideas and find out what you and other competitors are up to.

The video below will give you a rough idea of what Social Media actually is and how it works.

what Social Media actually is

Instant Word of Mouth. Anywhere. Anytime.

Let’s talk about industrial media first (commonly referred to as "traditional", "broadcast" or "mass" media) that include newspapers, television, film etc. Until recently, they had been regarded as the most powerful mediums for the quickest and most effective spread of information. Though still strong, the industrial media are slowly losing their appeal and proving to be less effective and very expensive in comparison to Social Media. Plus, publishing and accessing information on the industrial media is also quite a hassle when compared to the instant click-and-publish ease of Social Media.

Now let’s do a little more compare and contrast.

Both industrial and social media enable you to get your message through to the world. The question is which one does it in a more effective, faster, and less expensive way.

Choosing traditional media for sending your message to the world can cost you a fortune. Ads in industrial media in a visible space and at an opportune time are very hard to come by and are extremely expensive. Whereas using Social Media for dissemination of your message is click-easy, instant, and almost free. Once published on a good social network, your message is visible to the entire online community without bounds.

What’s completely impossible on traditional media is no big deal on the social media. In mass media, motion ads are restricted to TV and audio to radio, while print cannot display the message in any other form than plain text and images.

In Social Media, your message can take many interesting forms and can be used on a variety of platforms. A promotional video for instance is not restricted to YouTube and other video sharing sites, but also can be added to a blog, a website, or your Facebook account without effort. Social media also allow you to try out innovative methods for making your message more appealing and effective. Share videos, pictures, and music, write blogs, discuss in forums, or participate in social networking sites. More variety and exposure means better diffusion of your message.

Traditional media diffuse the message on a mass scale so the chances of its reaching the wrong audience are very strong. On the other hand, message sent via social media is 100% targeted and hits the right audience at the right time. Take a TV or print ad for instance – the message it sends is received by all and sundry even though a large part of the audience doesn’t relate to it. Contrarily, the messages in social media are circulated only in the relevant circles which contain the potential target audience. In social media, most of the time people see only what they want to see; quite unlike mass media where message is hammered into all heads at once making it lose its effect.

Production of communications by traditional media can also be a lengthy process and the message may take days, weeks and even months to take its final form and get spread. But messages through social media are produced and spread instantaneously, virtually without delay. Just a few clicks and your message is right there in front of your target audience assuring an equally fast and overwhelming response.

Social Media are increasingly becoming a favourite marketing option for the world’s businesses. Today, in the midst of a financial downturn where every single marketing dollar is precious, businesses are discovering the untapped potential of marketing via web, especially social media. The world wide web is teeming with social media such as communication, collaboration, multimedia and entertainment platforms offering the greatest advertising solution of our time.

Your own personal mini-website. Write what you want to write. Add photos, videos, audio. Do it all at one place. Try Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress, Vox

Have your say. Participate in the ongoing discussion, or start your own. Let the world know what you think. Try vBulletin, phpBB

Expand your online social circle ten-fold. Get to know others and become known. Befriend, date, unite, campaign or simply spread news on the grapevine. Try Avatars United, Bebo, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Orkut, Skyrock, Netlog, Hi5

See the world and let the world see you… a little more closely. Be in the know visually or simply enjoy a visual treat. Or share the same with others. Try Flickr, Zooomr, Photobucket, SmugMug

You’re on the move, no matter how wise or stupid. So is the world. See others doing stuff and let them see you doing stuff too. Try YouTube, Vimeo, Revver

So you’re kind of an artist. Show them your art too. You might also learn from their talent, or perhaps be their inspiration. After all, it’s a whacky world. Try deviantART

You have an unrecognized musician inside? Let it out on social media and prove your talent (Make sure Simon Cowell doesn’t get to hear your rendition). Try imeem, The Hype Machine, Last.fm, ccMixter

Here’s the expected utilitarian question. And the answer is amazingly simple…Traditional marketing is reaching the end of its lifespan. Web marketing is on the rise and using social media as a channel is today’s best solution for making your presence felt. What you can do as a business is use the above mentioned social media to convey your message in a subtle, innovative and the least expensive way straight to your target audience, your potential clientele.All you have to do is be a bit (strategically) social online and see the results that’ll prove to be winning for your business. Create interesting blogs, participate in online forums, share photos, videos and music, expand your online social circle, and enjoy spreading your message in a fun way.

What a social media campaigning can do for your brand

The six goals of a social media campaigning for a brand are to reach more people, to keep their followers informed, to allow people to sample their music, to sell their music and merchandise, to have content that people pass along to friends and to engage their fans in such a way as to encourage continued interest.