Social media seems to be all the buzz lately - well, for me…it’s been here a while, but for many companies…it’s suddenly all the rage! Business folks and companies are leveraging this popular outlet as a way to get their message/name/ideas across to others. Whether it be podcasts, blogs, wikis, LinkedIn…or even MySpace…social media seems to be where it’s “at.”

So, I thought it appropriate to write my first TAG blog on the subject at-hand. I’m not entirely convinced that this is the wave of the future for business…but I also never thought I, myself, would be a MySpacer or Facebooker (but I am). Side note: As a twenty-something year old trying to stay in touch with college friends, I followed the trend a few years ago after I suddenly found myself asking, “What is all the hype about??” Now, of course, I’m totally addicted (but that’s another blog on a different day).

Even at the recent CRITA conference, social media was the “hot” topic of discussion. I engaged in conversations about the increasing number of organizations using YouTube, Digg, MySpace and so forth (it’s genius…free tools equal free marketing). As you might know, sites like MySpace are quickly becoming popular tools for many nonprofits, restaurants, clothing stores…and, of course, politicians. We discussed how social media websites are great for increasing your “popularity points” by using linkbacks (good strategy for SEO) as well as driving traffic to your site. Hmmm…food for thought.

So, as I continue to ponder where social media will take us in the next few years…let me know your thoughts! As the Membership Director for TAG, I’m always looking for ways to add benefits to your TAG Membership. Let me know how you think social media can help your professional growth, and specifically, what TAG can do!