The white picket fence has been replaced by a monitor and keyboard. What was once an intimate conversation between a few people has become a "chat" among millions making electronic social networking a new form of media.

Many of these social networking sites include commentaries about or reviews of businesses, services, product and experiences by users. This kind of discussion is referred to as "word of mouth" marketing and can make or break any reputation. Savvy public relations and marketing professionals are still trying to figure out how to leverage this new media to benefit businesses and advise caution trying to utilize this resource.

Monitoring social media sites could take an entire team of people and it would still be impossible to find all the media mentions of a key word. That doesn't mean this gold mine of information must go untapped - strategy is what's needed.

Who is saying what?

Media Intel combines proprietary search technology with trained Social Media Clips editors to comb the Internet for the clips you need. With millions of people on-line at any moment, the content of these social networking sites is constantly changing - responding quickly to compliments or criticisms will go a long way to proving your commitment to providing your customers with timely responses.

If a positive "tweet" goes out about a customer's positive experience, you are in a position to re-tweet that information and, if all goes well, expand the positive impact. Standard search engines might, or might not, pick up on that tweet. They have limited capabilities, and they can only find what you tell them to look for. Our proprietary search technology combined with our team of Social Media Clip editors become invaluable to finding the "hard to find" media mentions.

It's that human expertise that makes it possible for us to access these virtual coffee shop conversations that influence opinions and buying decisions as friends share information. But unlike verbal exchanges that evaporate into thin air, online discussions are preserved and accessible to those who know how to find them.

Virtual Delivery

Just as we do with Web Clips, Media Intel customizes the delivery and storage of your Social Media Clips to suit your business needs.

• Preview Social Media Clips for the length of your subscription
• Download Social Media Clips to your server
• RSS feed the most current media mentions to your Web site
• PDF conversion of selected media mentions
• Customizable folder system (organize by topic, industry, competitors, etc.)
• Advanced search system for finding and retrieving Social Media Clips from the database

This "emerging media" has the potential to dramatically influence prospective and existing customers and their decisions regarding their spending, opinions about your company over a competitor and the perceived value of what you offer. In this case, not knowing what's being said about you, your competition or your industry can quickly become a liability with serious consequences.