Social Media. Who's Talking?

My Space. Friendster. Facebook. And now Twitter. There are more avenues now for public discourse, which has seeped out of the private sector and into commerce. Businesses are now using Twitter and Facebook to connect with their customers, gaging their opinions and preferences at their convenience. Surveys and consumer interest panels are becoming outmoded; they simply can't keep up with the pace of human interest. It was only a matter of time before social media became a mode of advertising. Brands build fans, so why no reach out to consumers where they are most active? The demographic of social media users becomes wider and more diverse every day. Hell, there is even a 104 year-old woman who tweets! Don't believe me? Check out http://twitter.com/IvyBean104. Who's talking? More like who's NOT talking.