1. Definition – Social Media is the most updated version of websites and other online means of communication used by people to communicate information about themselves or their businesses.

2. Marketing – Social Media is a crucial channel of establishing relationships and/or brand for both individuals and businesses or groups. As more and more people come online to use the internet, they use social media to connect, learn and share.

3. Optimization

1. Knowing the landscape – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter are the most well-known versions of social media but many other channels exist that don’t immediately come to mind. But they all fall under the umbrella of social media. For example, LinkedIn, Quora and Yelp all encourage the sharing of information and/or foster relationship building.

2. Setting up accounts on each of those channels – Even if you aren’t ready to post content a social media channel, making an account to see and learn about topics that interest you will also help you learn what social media is used for.

3. When you start posting, don’t get caught up in trying to make posts for maximum likes or retweets or shares. Social media is meant to be shared but extra effort to make the most perfect post will rarely be rewarded.