Social media is a growing practice which is likely to evolve past the tweets and status’ of today. PR and other branding professionals have taken notice and have, over the past few years, effectively implemented sm campaigns and day-to-day corresponding into their client’s publicity repertoire.

PR professionals are so apt to talk about social media in terms of trends and what community members are talking about that they tend to forget that consumer-based social media is more or less a sociological function.

Take, for instance, a recent study by Empathica noting that most social media users are driven towards brands that implement coupons or promotions through their various sm outlets.

While most of the aspects of social media related branding and consumerism are essentially common sense, i.e. maintaining a positive, two way communication system with consumers, I think it’s best to start putting the social into social media and looking at it in terms of basic sociological practice.

Research can tell you lots of interesting factoids like how roughly 80% of parents with kids on social media sites also have their own accounts – well that’s a given seeing as how parents want to monitor their children in all facets of life… Or how most people are inclined to interact with brands who provide special promotions through their sm accounts I myself will stop into Starbucks when they offer me a free treat to complement my $7.00 coffee.

More on this to come…