Adam Vincenzini asked fellow tweeters to define what social media is in this blog post in the twitter format of 140 words or less. Here I copied and pasted the three that resonated most with me.

@Beth_Carroll: Social media is about building relationships and harnessing those relationships to build networks and interact

I like this definition because of the usage of the word ‘relationships’. Social media is all about relationships, and not only starting, or building, relationships, but also growing them and making meaningful connections to aid your professional life.

@MarketingVeep Social media shrinks time and place’ it imposes a stark brevity; it leads strangers to each other; gives booming voice to a whisper; turns two legs into an army

I think this definition of social media is so eloquently put, almost like a poem you must dissect. So, lets break it down. First, shrinks time and place. In this day and age, brevity is key. People are busy and bouncing around from one place to another so being able to get updates quickly and easily is essential. and brevity. Next, ‘it leads strangers to each other’. This piece of the definition really resonates with me because I feel so blessed to have these tools like twitter that make it possible for an insignificant public relations undergrad to connect with important influential people in the field. Finally, ‘it gives a booming voice to a whisper’. This part of social media is so groundbreaking because for the first time, consumers have a HUGE voice in commerce.

With the incredible phenomenon that is social media, it came as no surprise when companies like radian arose monitoring the social mediums. However, there is a heated debate about the ethics of social media monitoring.

Some people find social media monitoring to be ethical in that everyone has the same opportunities. What I mean when I say this is that everyone has an equal opportunity to view other companies information. It is not as if one company is sneaking a peek at something they are not supposed to see. They are only monitoring what is being said. There is also something to be said for the fact that this social media monitoring is helping consumers get what they want from the companies products or services.

However, there are those people who find social media monitoring to be unethical. Many people believe social media is for consumers, not companies. A lot of people see this new phenomenon as a way for consumers to speak with other consumers and by adding social media monitoring it is interrupting a conversation they were not invited to join.

I don’t see the harm in social media monitoring. It seems like a logical step for corporations to take to evolve and adjust with the times that are social media. There are too many social media websites to count. How can these corporations withstand this new reality without having some technological way to track what is being said about them?

As a student and consumer, I think there is something empowering about fortune 500 companies being interested in what I say. And on that same note, why would I take the time to discuss different companies if I didn’t want to see some results from them. If social media websites like radian didn’t exist, than my time and energy put into commenting on various products and services would most likely go unnoticed. I applaud this revolutionary step companies are taking and encourage them to continue to view the little people, like me, as an amazing ,previously untapped, resource that will help their businesses flourish.

I must first admit that I am a self-proclaimed newbie to social media. While I have kept a blog for nearly a year now, I have yet to fully devote myself to this creative and revolutionary communicative outlet. I began my blog last year for my introduction to public relations class and have been asked to use my blog for practically every class in my major. For a while I didn’t understand why I wasn’t “getting into” blogging like I had with Facebook( an addiction I’m afraid to admit). Then one day it hit me!

I didn’t enjoy blogging because I was having no interaction with other bloggers. I wasn’t commenting on their blogs and they certainly were not commenting on mine. So, I would like to take this opportunity to pledge my allegiance to commenting on other blogs at least three times a week in 2010. I figure that if I read other people’s blogs not only will it spark some ideas for my blog, but also hopefully, it will inspire my social media peers to take a gander at mine!

Commenting on other’s blogs is the glue that connects us through this crazy Internet highway. I figured I should do some research before I embark on my new “blog commenting” journey. Here are some tips I found from Grammar Girl!

1. Be Respectful- While this may seem like an obvious rule, there are far too many internet critics who are really crossing the line. Yes, of course you can disagree, I urge you too, but do it in a way that provokes deep thinking. remember, you catch more bee’s with honey!
2. Keep it Short- One point/idea per comment and no more than 300 words. It is a comment, not a blog post.
3. Determine Your Motivation- Before you start writing figure out the message you are trying to get across. This makes your comment more logical and thus, more likely to be read.