Business and enterprise software, and other applications that help a business run

Social Media may be defined as follows: Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories, and understandings.

As these communities and activities drive further into the mainstream, they are also attracting more mainstream activities, many of which have either light or heavy business associations. Some of the heavier set of business interactions involve actual advertising, the establishment of corporate social media identities, the furtherance of corporate communications, and a myriad of other activities, most of which revolve around marketing. For those who decry the entry of business into this social space, I remind you that radio and television are also basically social spaces.

The primary “light” component of business in social media is networking. Social media sites like Plurk, Twitter, and FriendFeed are built to support these networking activities, and are quickly taking over from the “traditional” web-based forums and associations. Wherever you go in the social media space, you will see like-minded people banding together to talk about their passions, both business and personal, extending their network of friends into new spaces and building their networks by adding like-minded people.

One interesting recent development in social media could be considered a reversion to the past. More and more social media Web denizens are arranging meetings in “real life” in order to bring their extended networks into clearer focus. Some of these gatherings are as simple as Twitter groups meeting for an occasional breakfast. Others are as complex as conventions with the full array of working groups, presentations, and keynote speakers. This is truly an exciting time to be involved in social media.