What is Your Definition of “Social Media”?

What is social media?  As we view the “social” aspect of the term, I believe we can readily agree that it usually refers to the interaction of people as they share information and relate it to their activities.  The “media” aspect of the term refers to the instrument or method of communicating the information and associated activities.  Two of the most recent media methods are the internet and personal “Smartphones.”  More traditional instruments include TV, newspapers, magazines, and radio.  The capacity to discuss and broadcast the social activities is also very important in more recent communication instruments.  I believe this provides a basic, working definition of social media.

The Socials Can’t be Ignored

These forms of communications don’t permit isolation.  They surround us and engages us whether we want to indulge or not.  We are voluntarily exposed in using the major media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  And don’t forget the ever-present “Smartphone!”  We have wandering eyes at the supermarket check-out counters where current gossip and other magazines are displayed.  There are many other exposures too numerous to list here.  But ignore them we can’t!

Do the socials media Stimulate Your World?

Our view of the world is influenced by all that we see, read, and hear!  Most of it is certainly through conscious, active pursuit.  However, much of it is also through unconscious, passive experience of our surroundings and interests and, in passing, while pursuing our personal interests, family pursuits, and professional/work requirements and interests.

An example of the information gained through research related to the personal interest of blog websites can be illuminating.  A key ingredient in this effort is “key word research.”  In order to have the website article of interest indexed by the search engines, the developer is always challenged to use words and phrases different from those of competing developers.  One method of doing this is by trial entries of the proposed words and observing the resulting articles and sites presented by the search engines.  The array of articles and sites presented opens up, often, a new, unanticipated world.  As one suspects, the task of finding unique words and terms for your website articles is not easy but can be surprisingly illuminating.  The task is unending!  And, in the process, can end with some awkward article wording and structure.