Internet Communication: Twitter, Email, IM, Blogging, RSS & Newsgroups

Social media adds business value by building networks that enhance competitive advantage, enable the
exchange of information and foster strong relationships. There are various Internet communication tools
that enable us to network both personally and professionally such as Facebook, e-mails, chat and RSS.

What are Web 2.0 and Social Media?

Have you ever heard the term Web 2.0? Have you wondered what was meant by that? Web 2.0 is
a term used to describe advanced Internet technologies and applications that enable collaboration
and information sharing. Some of the popular Web 2.0 technologies are blogs, social networks
and RSS.

A major phenomenon of Web 2.0 technologies is the rise of social media. Social media is the
online platforms and technologies that people use to build social networks by communicating with
others and sharing experiences, opinions, insights and perceptions. Social media not only includes
text, but also images, audio and video. Social media is unique because people, just like you and
me, control the use of these tools. It is inexpensive, easy and convenient.

The Business Value of Social Media

Developing social networks through the use of social media adds value to businesses. Social capital
can be measured by the number of relationships, the strength of the relationships and the resources
controlled by those relationships. In the past, organizations relied on sales people, customer
support and public relations to build their social capital. Today, organizations use technology such
as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to build social capital. Individuals use technology such as
Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, newsgroups and chat to communicate, voice opinions and share ideas.

Natalie is an up and coming photographer. While her talent and skill behind the camera are
impressive, she is in a highly competitive industry. As a new photographer, Natalie needs to spread
the word about her business, build relationships with people and organizations and strengthen her
presence in the community. Natalie can use social networking to gain a competitive advantage,
exchange information, advertise, showcase her work and foster strong relationships.

Facebook

Natalie has decided to use social networking to build her brand, support e-commerce activities and
assist with advertising and sales. She decides to create a Facebook page for her business. Facebook
is a social networking site that connects users to friends, family, co-workers, groups and
businesses. Users create profiles and develop a network in which they can exchange information,
share thoughts, photos, news stories and much more. Natalie can use Facebook to stay in touch
with customers and provide the latest on her services and promotions. It is a great way to reach
customers, alert them of special offers and keep the organization in the forefront of a consumer's
mind. She can also post pictures of her work to highlight her talent and skill.
Did you know that Facebook has over 850 million active users, 250 million photos uploaded daily,
2.7 billion 'likes' per day and 425 million mobile users? That will provide Natalie with access to
many people!

E-mail

Natalie can use e-mail to communicate with clients concerning photography sessions, pricing and
proofs. E-mail is an extremely popular method of electronic communication. E-mail allows for
person-to-person messaging and document sharing. It expedites communication and enables
messages to be sent to multiple people quickly through the use of Internet technologies. Natalie
could attach proofs of the pictures she has taken for customers to review. She could send contracts
for weddings or simply answer questions a customer may have.

How many e-mails do you send per day? Approximately, 294 billion messages are sent daily by
users. That equates to 2.8 e-mails sent every second!

Chat

Another way for Natalie to conveniently connect with clients is using chat or instant messaging.
Chat allows for real-time interactive conversations over the Internet. Chat allows groups of people
to communicate. Everyone can see the messages posted by others in the group. Some popular chats
are AOL and Delphi Forums. Chat has become increasingly popular in business with over 80%
of U.S. employees utilizing chat. Instant Messaging (IM) is a type of chat service that allows
participants to create private channels. The instant messaging system will alert users when a person
from his or her list is online. A chat session can then be initiated. Some common instant messaging
tools include Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. Natalie could
add a chat feature to her company Website where customers could ask questions and acquire
information.

Newsgroups

Since Natalie is new to the photography industry, she decides to visit a portrait photography
newsgroup. Newsgroups are discussion groups on electronic bulletin boards. People share
information and ideas on a specific topic. Anyone can post messages to newsgroups. Thousands
of newsgroups exist on practically any topic imaginable. Natalie feels that she can gain valuable
ideas and insights as well as share her own with others passionate about photography.

Blogs

Natalie really enjoys photography. She has a lot to say about the subject, including information
others may find valuable. She decides to create a blog, or a chronological publication of personal
thoughts and links. It is somewhat like a journal. Natalie would post regularly to her blog and
develop an audience that follows her frequent publications. She can easily advertise her
photography business and link her company website for a wider reach. Blogs can be on practically
any topic and are created by professionals, hobbyists, entrepreneurs and corporations.
Did you know that over 150 million blogs exist online, approximately 120,000 new blogs are added
every day and there are more than 1.5 million comments posted in blogs every day?

Twitter

As a business owner, Natalie realizes that Twitter has a lot to offer as well. Twitter is a social
networking site in which users can post short, text-based messages. Tweets, or the text-based
posts, are limited to 140 characters. Twitter will connect Natalie in real-time to the latest stories,
opinions and ideas. She can use Twitter to share information about her services, seasonal
promotions, special pricing and as well as gather feedback and build relationships. An example of
a Tweet Natalie could make is: 'School is in session! Back to school photo packages are 15% off
through October 31st!'

Did you know that Twitter has over 100 million active users, 200 million tweets daily and 1 million
new accounts are added daily?

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media site used to network professionally. LinkedIn connects people to
colleagues, friends and professionals. LinkedIn enables users to share knowledge, ideas and
opportunities. It can assist a user with employment opportunities, obtaining new clients or building
a professional reputation. Natalie created a LinkedIn profile so she could begin connecting with
others. She can share her education and experience as well as spread the word about her new
business.

Did you know that LinkedIn has over 175 million members worldwide? This is a terrific way for
Natalie to build a network for referrals and photography jobs.

RSS

Natalie is very busy with her business and social networking. She really enjoys reading the latest
news, keeping track of the weather, reading the blogs of other photographers and keeping up with
the latest in photography. It's very time consuming to visit many different websites to find all of
the latest headlines that interest her. Natalie relies on RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. RSS
compiles the latest headlines from various websites and pushes those articles to her computer. It's
a very simple way for Natalie to manage the news, weather and blogs that she finds interesting.
Natalie will simply subscribe to a source of information, also called a feed, that delivers headlines
and summaries of information she wants.

Lesson Summary

Whether it is business or pleasure, there is no doubt social networking plays an integral role in our
lives. How often are you updating your Facebook status, checking your e-mail or making a tweet
throughout the day? Probably more than you realize.
As our story about Natalie has shown, businesses can use the Internet, websites, social networking,
blogs and other Web 2.0 technologies to connect with customers, enhance relationships, increase
productivity and lower costs. Utilizing these technologies will create a competitive advantage that
is imperative in the business world.

To review, Web 2.0 is a term used to describe advanced Internet technologies and applications
that enable collaboration and information sharing. Social media is the online platforms and
technologies that people use to build social networks by communicating with others and sharing
experiences, opinions, insights and perceptions. Popular social networking sites include
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Many other online communication tools can be utilized by
business owners such as e-mail, blogs, newsgroups, chat and RSS.