I personally feel social media is the best kind of “word-of-mouth”.  It can beat all sorts of expensive advertising.  Lets’ face it – would you be more likely to buy from a total stranger or from someone you already know (like a colleague or friend)?

Amazon was one of the few who started allowing users (even if you bought a book/product from another site) to review and rate products.

When MySpace came alive with inumerous aspiring music bands, many like Facebook and Friendster saw the advantages of what social media can do. Twitter is also hugely popular but interestingly, MySpace overshadowed Twitter with the number of members they currently have.  I started watched the social media like how teenagers watch their favourite music go up (or down) in the Billboard! lol

When I told a friend recently that I have 89 followers within 2 months of being on Twitter, she was amazed.  I did NO ADVERTISING cos I am broke!  lol

Has social media worked for you and what’s your experience with it?

Chris Crum gives valuable insights into the advantages and disadvantages of social media here.

Also, here’s an free ebook that introduces social media and how you can out it to work for you.