It seems some people, who will not be named here, think that social media encompasses only Facebook and Twitter. Ok, I do agree that these are the big two and garner a great deal of attention due mainly because they carry so much social content. However, for those that aren’t dealing with social media everyday there are literally hundreds of sites that fit within the social sphere. Some, like YouTube and Flikr, are well known but not all realize that they are considered social sites because they enable connections and sharing. And there are many, many more.  From Crocheting to Vampires, there is a social network for what interests you.  So if you want to learn about other social networking sites check out wikipedia for a fairly comprehensive list.  Here are a few lesser known but interesting sites that you may want to add to your favorites or blocked site lists.  What uncommon or odd social sites do you visit?

Stumbleupon – presents subscribers with sites that like-minded stumblers have recommended. Great for those with AD&D.

Last.fm – If you love listening to music and love talking about, telling others about, and getting deep into it, then this site may be for you. Yelp! – Looking for a place to go eat, drink and be merry?

Yelp! Helps you find it and then you can provide your feedback and share with the world and your friends.

Buzznet – For the trendsetters out there that want to keep up to date on what’s happening in music and pop culture.

Goodreads – Are you a bookworm? Want to meet others or create your own online book club? This site provides the forum for doing just this. Get reading recommendations and share your thoughts.

WAYN is a travel and lifestyle network that helps you to keep track of all your contacts from around the world and make new friends based on where you are now, where you have been and where you are going!

Vampirefreaks.com – The name of this site pretty much sums it up but to be more specific they are catering to the gothic and industrial subculture. The brand name of their clothing line pretty much sums up what they are about.

Raverly is a free site for lovers of knitting and crochet and, perhaps, the most opposite of Vampirefreaks possible. Would be fun to see what happens if these two were switched for a day.

Italki.com provides forum for people interested in learning a new language and for those who already know one to show how smart they are.

Daily Strength – Find the 12-step program of your choice here or build your own, create a support network with others, share your problems and coping strategies with people in the same boat.

Science Stage - ScienceStage.com is a virtual conference room, lecture hall, laboratory, library, and meeting venue all in one. It offers new methods of scientific presentation, scientific discourse, and academic knowledge transfer by using video streaming, audio streaming, and text features

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I don't know about you, but I get excited talking about location-based services.  You know, the type of services that are dependent on where you are at any point in time.  In 1999 through 2001 I worked with a telecommunications company that was attempting to bring location-based services to cell phones.  At that time, the mobile networks weren't as robust as they are today, there were very few Internet-capable phones, no iPhone or Droid, and Facebook, Twitter, and about 50,000+ other web applications did not exist.  As you can imagine, not much was sold back then.   There just wasn't a large enough value proposition for the carriers to deploy these services.

Today, however, location-based services are thriving.  You may not even be aware that you are using them, but nearly all cell phones, Internet devices, and mobile applications utilize location information for some purpose. 

Local Search is currently the largest use of location-based services.  This includes such applications as Yelp!, Foursquare, and Gowalla.  These applications enable rapid search for local businesses and provide a forum to post comments, give ratings, and earn discounts on services or merchandise.  These sites are rapidly gaining popularity due to their ease of use on mobile phones.  In addition to their obvious functionality, they allow connections to popular social media sites, which enables the comments and updates to reach a much wider audience.  This integration with Social Networks creates a pushed advertisement whenever an individual checks-in.  This functionality fits in nicely with the goals of Social Media Marketing, which are, to advertise, converse, and build trust with your community.    

Due to the exponential growth in this area, I recommend to all my clients that they check if their business is included in the top local search apps and tools.  If it isn't then we add it and set it up to provide notifications when comments are posted.  This action enables the business to build relationships with their customers by responding to both positive and negative postings.  When the business participates, customers believe that they are important, which builds confidence that your company is one they want to continue doing business with or refer to their acquaintances.

In closing here is an action item to get you started.  Check out these three applications (Yelp!, Foursquare, Gowalla) and add your business, or take ownership if it is already present.   Check in periodically to see what people are saying and provide polite responses when you think it is appropriate.  After a while you will see what services are worth your time and marketing effort, and can adjust your involvement accordingly.

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People are going places and looking for places to go.  And when they get there, many feel the need to share their experience.  Social Applications like Yelp! and Four Square are providing the mechanism to do this, quickly and easily.  These applications (available on iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, Palm and other devices) provide a forum for customers to search for, comment on, rate, and recommend businesses.  In addition, these applications allow for seamless connectivity into other Social Applications, like Facebook and Twitter.  This means that applications like Yelp! and FourSquare aren't islands, but rather launching pads for consumer critics to spread their experiences throughout their social networks.

So what do businesses need to know about these applications, and why should they get involved?  First off, by being present and monitoring the commentary presented, a business owner can make information-based promotional or strategic decisions that improve the customer experience.   At the same time, these applications allow owners, managers, or employees to respond to comments, both negative and positive.  This creates a two-way conversation and builds trust within the community.

Secondly, these applications, because of their availability on mobile devices, integration into mapping software, and no-cost to users, are becoming the de facto local search tools.  This means if your business is not included in the database, it will missing out on a growing marketing channel.

Fortunately, there is no monetary cost to add a business to these applications, as they are currently supported by advertising revenue.  So, at a minimum, it makes sense to add your business.  However, for better results, I recommend checking in periodically, or, better yet, setting up your account to notify you when comments have been posted.

Tools like Yelp! and Four Square offer other benefits to businesses, so I think they are worth adding to a Social Media Marketing strategy.  But the key to any successful Social Media campaign is staying engaged over the long-term.  This will allow you to improve your business and build a loyal following at the same time.

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