What is the Social Web?
Also known as social networking, the social web allows you to share with your colleagues, friends, family and strangers. It allows you to share your writings, thoughts, videos, music, pictures and more.
While the old Web was about Web sites, clicks, and “eyeballs,” the new Web is about communities, participation and peering. As users and computer power multiply, and easy-to-use tools proliferate, the Internet is evolving into a global, living, networked computer that anyone can program. Even the simple act of participating in an online community makes a contribution to the new digital commons – whether one’s building a business on Amazon or producing a video clip for YouTube, creating a community around his or her Flickr photo collection or editing the astronomy entry on Wikipedia.
The following slide show, although it’s from 2006, provides a helpful explanation of the Social Web, from Wikis and RSS to Blogs, Flickr and more.
Being Sociable
With today’s enormous shift toward online communication, understanding the online space is critical. Too many businesses are still merely dipping their toes into the world of social networking. This year, the need to jump in is even more pronounced. Interest groups are being formed, new brand leaders are being established, and thought leaders are constantly emerging in these new social communities. Anyone who is not out there making mistakes, learning the protocol, and getting a feel for how their brand and personal connection play in the bigger business cycle, will quickly find themselves isolated and on the outside looking in.
Big sites with big traffic are great places to drive traffic to your own site, whether it’s on Twitter, in blog comments, with a Facebook fan page, or whatever is appropriate for your niche. To establish brand credibility and your place in this new marketplace, create a group in LinkedIn, Facebook and other essential social media and trade association directories. Start the invitation process and begin to get a feel for what it’s like to be a participant in the community.
