This week we’ve gone over the history of social media and at times used the terms “social media” and “social networks/ing” interchangeably. This has caused some confusion – are they are the same thing? This post is intended to clarify the definition of social media to better understand this new and popular medium.

According to Wikipedia, social media first and foremost “depends on interactions between people as the discussion and integration of words builds shared-meaning, using technology as a conduit.”

In other words, social media is primarily about user-generated content (where the public become publishers) and the conversations that exist within the communities that flourish and thrive around that content, whether it’s video, audio or text.

As social media evolved, websites that focused on media sharing began incorporating social networking features, becoming Social Networking Sites (SNSs) themselves (e.g. Flickr and YouTube). This networking aspect was a major factor to the growth of social media. (Source: Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship).

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In Part 1 of the History of Social Media, we covered the origins of this cultural phenomenon and some of its characteristics. In Part 2, we discussed the first social networking site, Friendster, its rise and fall and the website that took its place, MySpace.

This post presents the next major Social Media boom, Facebook. We conclude our history lesson with the significant opportunities that SM offers for brands, marketers and businesses of all sizes through Social Media Marketing (SMM).

Facebook: Finding where you belong

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The Rise and Fall of Friendster and the expansion of Social Media

After the central characteristics for Social Media were developed, it was only a matter of time until large masses of people began to flock these sites. The first major site to breakthrough to the mainstream was Friendster in 2003. Here are the facts:

1. Friendster started in 2002
2. Gained popularity through 3 main groups (Bloggers, the Burning Man arts festival attendees and gay men)
3. By May 2003 it had 300 000 users all from WOM (Word-of-Mouth)
4. Media coverage began and number grew exponentially

Downfall of Friendster

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Social Media - Beginnings and Characteristics

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is still a very fresh, exciting and risky medium for marketers. It continues to be developed everyday by the internet audience, social media sites and the few brave marketers who have taken the plunge into this promising ocean. At Apollo Media, we thought we’d take a step back for a moment and look into the not-so-distant past, to the origins of Social Media.

Although it appears websites like MySpace and Facebook suddenly cropped up, the Social Media explosion didn’t happen overnight. You might be surprised to know that major networking sites as we know them have been evolving for over a decade.

It all started in 1997 with a social networking site by the name of Six Degrees. This innovative website sought to bring people together online and followed the general principles that have shaped social media:
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So you want to become a successful blogger but don’t know where to begin.

First, what makes a successful blog? For all intensive purposes, let’s say a popular blog. Winning another’s heart, let alone persuading a large group to believe in you and your views, is a fairly significant accomplishment. Wouldn’t you say?

Back to you and your problogging goals. May I suggest the traditional way of learning?

Try imitation.

In a recent post on Copyblogger, What Aristotle Can Teach You About Ethical Blogging, the author, Ryan Imel, reminds us that following in the footsteps of one’s hero is a sure-fire way to achieving your aspirations.

But a blogger that you admire may not be a successful blogger. In this case, imitating them will allow you to achieve only half your goal.

But we want you to have all that you desire! So, here are a few tips in how to spot a successful blog: Read the rest of this entry »

One of the key features Apollo Media often includes in its web development package is the creation of an informative blog which brings clients closer to their target market.To make a blog successful, there are several important factors to consider that will help you meet the needs of your potential online audience. Read the rest of this entry »

The question of the century is answered right here on Apollo Media’s blog: how does a blog make money?

First, there are a few check points you have to arrive at before you start monetizing.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have a blog?
2. Do I have a substantial amount of valuable content for readers?
3. Have I promoted my blog?
4. Have I built a readership, i.e. do I have people subscribing to my blog?

If you’ve said yes to all of these questions, then you’re ready for the following 12 ways to monetize your blog: Read the rest of this entry »

Chances are if you’re reading this, you already know what a blog is and you may even frequent some of them on a regular basis. But there are many companies out there, while successful in the offline world, yet to take advantage of the enormous potential that a company blog can hold for establishing credibility and a positive image for their online public relations.

Apollo Media often includes blogs in their web development packages, so we thought we provide some clear reasons why you’re company needs a blog today! Read the rest of this entry »

Pandia.com has written a comprehensive article on the best social bookmarking tools that both bloggers and blog readers can use to organize their online information. The article based its rankings on a specific set of criteria, emphasizing accessibility and ease of use.

Pandia’s criteria:

The best social bookmarking tools should include the following:

• A large amount of users to boost social networking
• Lots of FAQ and help pages to inform new users
• Good import and export possibilities so users can update, change and switch bookmarks from other browsers and bookmarking tools
• The inclusion of RSS feeds and tags
• The inclusion of a blog with needs and updates relevant to the service’s functionality

Pandia’s best bookmarking tools based on this criteria were: Read the rest of this entry »