Essays

The socialites got their new gossip when Amitabh Bacchan tweeted that Aishwarya Rai would soon be a mother. The country kept track of Anna Hazare's fast even during wee hours, at 3 am when Team Anna tweeted the recent developments. US President Barack Obama has begun re-election campaign for 2012 elections through popular online mediums like Facebook and Twitter.

Anyone who is still skeptical of the power of social web and micro-blogging needs to get a reality check done. Today, social media is becoming the addiction of every second person at a glaring speed. Sites and blogs like Orkut, Facebook, Tweeter, Ibibo, Myspace, Linkedin, Connectin, BigAdda, Fropper and many more are erasing differences of age and class. Social networking sites are not only catching the attention but are hooking young and old alike.

If anyone wishes to flaunt off his/her wedding dress, or locate a dear friend who is out of touch for years, or needs to build better contacts, or simply wishes to express his/her views— it's simple, just post a comment or your picture on any networking sites, and you'll be connected to a pool of million others. It is not unusual to find children and adults glued to networking sites for hours without realizing how time flies.

Some important tools of social media are social networks, blogging, social wikis, reviews and travels, videos, music social, social gambling, photo sites, conferences, B2B social, podcast, social couponing and life casting. While social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and videos like Youtube have reached a mass adoption, with the help of B2B social and reviews and travel, one can also shop in interesting and easy way by discussing things that other people or your friends are buying. Sites like Blippy and Groupon offer collective buying offers to give consumers a fun-filled shopping experience.

Social Media is also a big hit among many companies who use these sites as a networking tool to promote their product or services. Social media enables companies to generate awareness about their product, promote their brand, win over customers and thus increases sales. According to a study by a human resource and workplace solutions company, that surveyed responses of over 17,000 managers and business owners across 80 countries, the year 2011 has seen a rise in the usage of social media by Indian companies to win new business. Around 83% firms in India and 74% globally believe that social media activity is a must for marketing and around 61% of Indian firms used social media to engage with new customers this year as compared to the last year where the number was only 52%. Notably, around 63% companies say that by using social media to acquire new business they experienced an increase in their profits in the current year.

The emergence of social media has led to the democratization of media. It enables to form communities and foster relationships and conversation through interactive sharing. Social networking sites have facilitated the creative re-mixing of cultures across the world. Although at times information and social networking overload creates problems in finding the best content and annoys the user, but there is no denying the fact that social media has changed the definition and culture of media, where common man is no more a passive recipient, but has become an active responder.