What is social media website ? what is it's use in internet marketing?

[Ryan Ong]

A social media website refers to any site or service that deals with social communications over the Internet. The most common examples are Facebook and Twitter.

One use of social media is used to deliver contextual advertising. For example, if a particular group of Facebook users tend to buy Macs or click on ads for Apple products, Facebook can identify them as Mac fans and send the relevant ads their way.

Social media is also considered a better form of persuasion than ads or advertorials; if something is "liked" by your friends, for example, you are more likely to jump on the bandwagon and like it as well.

Social media can be used to reach large audiences, such as with people re-tweeting a particular message to a group of people, who then re-tweet it again, etc. This is a cheaper alternative to running a full blown ad campaign, by placing something on the side of a bus or on a billboard.