Twitter, Facebook et al.
We have seen them all.
They have emerged as powerful social media platforms and have all but taken over, if not the world, then our minds.
Everybody uses them to a varying extent and we could be forgiven for thinking that they are replacing traditional media such as TV and radio.
They are not.
In fact the reverse seems to be true, that is, traditional media are finding a resurgence of activity (read: viewers) because of these social media platforms.
How is that possible? Especially in the news-demand age where Twitter can break news before the networks can and distribute it around the globe in a flash? It requires a bit of lateral thought but it's not that difficult.
Think "connect" and you will get a clearer picture.
Imagine you are watching an interview with your favorite soap star.
Coincidentally, you are also on Twitter.
You write "watching Jennifer Aniston on a chat show" yet within a few minutes something is revealed that makes you think "oh my God!.
" This, of course, has to be shared.
Your next Tweet is something akin to "Jennifer Aniston has just revealed she eats maggots" (of course, she doesn't, but it's just an illustration).
Before long your message is in the Twitterstream of your followers and then, potentially, their followers.
Some of these people are going to be near a TV and are likely to switch channels to see the revelations first hand.
That is how traditional media are benefiting from the social marketing revolution.