Social media are attracting plenty of attention these days because of their unifying power.

The power of social media really lies in their power to unify and build communities.  Social networks like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace allow people to build connections and share information with one another. Because these networks allow people to build connections, they can be used to build strong virtual communities or tribes.  Everyone from individuals to corporations can take advantage of social media to build communities.

People with same interests can build a tribe with that shared interest as the binding factor. Discussions online can focus on that same interest.  It is amazing how easily online tribes can transcend the internet into the real life. Real life communities can get reinforcement from the online interactions. For companies, the opportunity to build communities through social media should be taken advantage of.

By building communities around a brand, the company is establishing more personal and stronger connections to clients and potential clients. The company is also developing brand community.  When a company has successfully established a community or a tribe around a brand,then you have people who are having conversation about your brand online without you having to initiate the conversations. The people who become part of your community can also help protect you reputation online. These people can also help you spread your branding, PR and marketing messages online.  When you take care of your clients and establish strong relationships with them, they will recommend you to others without you even asking them. They will just do it on their own. When people are truly satisfied with a product or service, social media make it easy for them to let other people know about it. 

Social media can also be fantastic tools for charities and causes.  People who believe in the same causes can work together online and can also use social media to push their causes even further and to attract even more people who believe in their cause.Social media can be used for fund-raising and for getting more supporters for causes and projects. 

There are different types of social media and individuals and companies can simply choose the type of social media that can help them in their goals.

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