Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

November 30, 2008

What Is Social Media?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 10:20 am

The LANGUAGE of SOCIAL MEDIA

Words have a deep effect on
how we interpret and interact with the world.
The words we use and how we define them
reveal our interests, concerns, and values.
This series explores the words of social media.



social media

Most literally, social media would be any object or tool, that connects people in dialogue or interaction — in person, in print, or online. In common usage, social media has come to mean a category of practices, technology, tools, and online sites that are based in social relationships, participation, and user-generated content. Social media adds a more personal context to the traditional business relationship.

For more information see:
Social media
The Social Media Conversation Prism
Social Media Time Investment = You put in is what you get out? The Time Scale

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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19 Comments to “What Is Social Media?”

  1. November 30th, 2008 at 10:54 am
    Derek said

    What a great definition Liz. However, I don’t think Social Media has to be an object or a tool. I think Social Media transpires anytime a conversation happens.

    Talking to a friend at a coffee shop, standing on a soap box in the park, or even just walking around the city talking to random people.

    Social Media is about the interaction, but we try to manage it through the tools.

  2. November 30th, 2008 at 10:57 am
    shelisrael said

    Good definition. My says the same thing but. it’s a bit simpler. Social media is any online space where people have public conversations.

  3. December 1st, 2008 at 2:58 am
    Lucretia Pruitt said

    Great job Liz!

    Now you’ve inspired me to get a post up that is sitting half-finished in my drafts.
    That survey I did was enlightening.

    Social Media? Tools - yes. Term others use to describe Social Media practitioners, users, advisors? also yes.
    I so love you being on same page or ahead of me! :) You are awesome lady!

  4. December 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
    Beth Kanter said

    Was just looking for a definition of social media for the WeAreMedia curriculum and viola - here it is

  5. December 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Lucretia,
    I’m working toward a whole bunch of these, but each one takes so much thinking to make them so short.

  6. December 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hey Beth!
    I’m delighted that I could help out the WeAreMedia in that small way.

  7. December 30th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
    The Media and The Medium | Comm Unplugged said

    [...] Thornley of Pro PR, Kimberly Bock has a small collection of definition by various A-list bloggers, Liz Strauss of Successful Blog and many more. Notably, many have referred to the Wikipedia version of what social media is all [...]

  8. January 15th, 2009 at 9:28 am
    What’s The Role of Agencies? : Scalable Intimacy said

    [...] What Is Social Media? [...]

  9. January 28th, 2009 at 7:54 am
    What Is Social Networking? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] SEE ALSO: What Is Social Media? [...]

  10. February 10th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
    New Media @ MIIS » Blog Archive » Introducing New Media to Key Decision-Makers said

    [...] Definition of Social Media by Liz StraussA Primer on Social Media by Jocelyn HarmonIs Web 2.0 Software You Purchase from Microsoft and other Stupid Questions You Might Be Afraid to Ask by Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog [...]

  11. March 18th, 2009 at 7:50 am
    What Is a Social Community? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social [...]

  12. March 25th, 2009 at 9:13 am
    What Is a Social Media Friend? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social Networking? What IS a Social [...]

  13. May 28th, 2009 at 9:36 am
    Wat maakt social media belangrijk? said

    [...] Successful-blog zie in de reacties op het artikel What is Social [...]

  14. June 10th, 2009 at 8:37 am
    What Is an Online Social Media Conversation? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social Networking? What IS a Social [...]

  15. June 25th, 2009 at 10:35 am
    What Is a Blog? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social Networking? What IS a Social Community? What Is Online Social Media [...]

  16. July 22nd, 2009 at 8:25 am
    What Is Twitter? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social Networking? What IS a Social Community? What Is Online Social Media Conversation? [...]

  17. July 29th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
    Marcy said

    That’s a great definition! I used to interchange the meaning of social media and social networks. I thought they were one and the same - I guess now I know that they’re similar but not at all identical.

  18. September 9th, 2009 at 8:41 am
    What Is Facebook? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once. said

    [...] ALSO: What Is Social Media? What Is Social Networking? What IS a Social Community? What Is Online Social Media Conversation? [...]

  19. October 28th, 2009 at 11:44 am
    » Introducing New Media to Key Decision-Makers Web Strategy & New Media said

    [...] Definition of Social Media by Liz Strauss A Primer on Social Media by Jocelyn Harmon Is Web 2.0 Software You Purchase from Microsoft and other Stupid Questions You Might Be Afraid to Ask by Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog [...]

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