Social media is all about conversations… conversations that are enabled via the internet. There is very little that we do now on the internet that isn’t part of a conversation. Whether we are just listening in or are actively involved in a conversation, the internet is about conversations. Ideally, this is a 2-way conversation but even a static corporate webpage is a conversation, albeit 1-way. Why did MySpace grow so quickly? Because it aggregated an audience that had a lot to say and listen to. Same with Friendster, Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, and on and on.

We were so accustomed to 1-way conversations that once we realized the possibility of 2-way or multi-way conversations, our behaviors changed forever and our desire for a richer, relevant conversation became insatiable. Its like Audrey from the Little Shop of Horrors screaming “Feed me, Seymour, feed me!”

Whether you blog, tweeet, instant message, write a wiki, join a community, subscribe to a RSS feed, share a photo, etc., you are part of a conversation regarding a subject that is relevant to you.

Social Media = Relevant Conversations = The New Internet