Social media shapes the ways in which we communicate, think about friends, and hear about news and current events. It also affects how users think of themselves, their communities, and their place in the world. This book examines the tremendous impact of social media on daily life. When the Internet became mainstream in the early 2000s, everything changed. Now that social media is fully entrenched in daily life, contemporary society has shifted again in how we communicate, behave as consumers, seek out and enjoy entertainment, and express ourselves. Every one of the new applications of social media presents us with a new way of thinking about the economy that supports technological development and communication content and offers new models that challenge us to think about the economic impact of communication in the 21st century. The Social Media Revolution examines the tremendous influence of social media on how we make meaning of our place in the world. The book emphasizes the economic impacts of how we use the Internet and World Wide Web to exchange information, enabling readers to see how social media has taken root and challenged previous media industries, laws, policies, and social practices. Each entry in this useful reference serves to document the history, impact, and criticism of every subject and shows how social media has become a primary tool of the 21st-century world—one that not only contributes to our everyday life and social practices but also affects the future of business. The coverage of topics is extremely broad, ranging from economic models and concepts relevant to social media, such as e-commerce, crowdfunding, the use of cyber currency, and the impact of freeware; to key technologies and devices like Android and Apple iOS, apps, the cloud, streaming, and smartphones and tablets; to major entrepreneurs, inventors, and subjects of social media, such as Julian Assange, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Marissa Mayer, Edward Snowden, Steve Wozniak, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Social media has become an integral part of life in the 21st century. Nearly every young adult has one or more social media accounts, making it imperative that they learn the best ways to protect themselves and their private information. It is equally important to highlight the good that young adults can do with social media. Readers take an in-depth look this topic with the help of sidebars, full-color photographs, and discussion questions that encourage conversations among young adults about the best ways they can use social media, both for themselves and for society.

Using theory and data, Gainous and Wagner illustrate how online social media is bypassing traditional media and creating new forums for the exchange of political information and campaigning.

Egypt's January 25 revolution was triggered by a Facebook page and played out both in virtual spaces and the streets. Social media serves as a space of liberation, but it also functions as an arena where competing forces vie over the minds of the young as they battle over ideas as important as the nature of freedom and the place of the rising generation in the political order. This book provides piercing insights into the ongoing struggles between people and power in the digital age.

Praise for Socialnomics "It's obvious that Erik Qualman's passion is social media." —Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Made to Stick and Switch "People are hot for social media . . . Erik Qualman says it's about listening first, then selling." —Forbes "Erik Qualman has been doing his homework on the social media phenomenon." —The Huffington Post "This is a must-read for anyone trying to leverage the social graph rather than be squashed by it." —Steve Kaufer, CEO, TripAdvisor "You learn a lot about someone from how they treat their moms. Erik is a trustworthy guy." —Chris Brogan, New York Times bestselling author of Trust Agents and Social Media 101 "Qualman is to social media what Demming is to quality and Drucker to management." —Scott Galloway, Professor, Stern School of Business, NYU The newly revised and updated guide to the social media revolution! Welcome to the world of Socialnomics—where consumers and the societies they create online have profound effects on our economy and the businesses that operate within it. Online word of mouth, social search, social commerce, and the influence of peer groups are making traditional marketing strategies obsolete. As a result, we no longer have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well we do it. Join Erik Qualman in Socialnomics for a fascinating look at the business implications of social media, and tap its considerable power to increase sales, cut marketing costs, and communicate directly with consumers.

Cold-calling is history—your future is in social media! The growth of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook have revolutionized how business is done. Professionals of every type-including your prospective buyers-are migrating in droves to social media to find solutions. If you want their business, you have to be there, too. Traditional sales methods like cold calling are no longer effective. Social media platforms are now your best tools. The Social Media Sales Revolution reveals the enormous opportunities now available for developing relationships and gaining new customers by leveraging the power of social media marketing. It provides a groundbreaking method for dominating markets by using the Internet to reverse the client acquisition process: instead of outbound marketing to generate leads, the entire process will “flip” to one of inbound attraction. You'll Learn how to: Present yourself to the business community online Build a significant online footprint Approach “e-prospects” Generate qualified leads through e-referrals Close more sales in the new world of social networking Providing you with an early edge on the competition The Social Media Sales Revolution offers the techniques you need today to dominate the marketplace tomorrow.