CHAPTER ONE An Introduction to Social Media Marketing Social media, which relates to the sharing of information, experiences, and perspectives throughout community-oriented websites, is becoming increasingly significant in our online world. Thanks to social media, the geographic walls that divide individuals are crumbling, and new online communities are emerging and growing. Some examples of social media include blogs, forums, message boards, picture- and video-sharing sites, user-generated sites, wikis, and podcasts. Each of these tools helps facilitate communication about ideas that users are passionate about, and connects like-minded individuals throughout the world. According to the Universal McCann's Wave 3 report, released in mid-2008, 1 social media is rising and does not seem to be stopping anytime soon. Among all Internet users between the ages of 16 and 54 globally, the Wave 3 report suggests the following: · 394 million users watch video clips online · 346 million users read blogs · 321 million users read personal blogs · 307 million users visit friends' social network profile pages · 303 million users share video clips · 202 million users manage profiles on social networks · 248 million users upload photos · 216 million users download video podcasts · 215 million users download audio podcasts 1