As a researcher it’s a bit too easy sometimes to use the buzzword “social media” as a clearly defined concept—but it isn’t. Today, all media is social. But what does this really mean? Well, here it is in less than 75 slides, complete with great tips for professional communicators:

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[via ParisLemon]

It’s easier than most people thing to keep tabs on topics that interest you or your organization. The Social Media University, Global (SMUG) offers a quick run down on how to monitor the blogosphere using free tools that many are familiar with already, including Technorati, BlogPulse, and IceRocket, and Google News:

For any of these, it is easy to get automatic, up-to-date alerts via RSS feeds or e-mail, so you can be aware of what is being said about topics that matter to you.

Blogging 102: Blog Search Engines [SMUG]

For me, it’s simple: time.

I once asked a class of PR undergrads if anyone regularly listens to podcasts. In a class of 20, not a single hand went up. Think about this: if the industry’s future communicators don’t use them, even though the industry still thinks they are important, well, something’s seriously wrong.

MediaShift agrees:
MediaShift . Early Opt-Out’er::6 Reasons I’m Not Hooked on Podcasts | PBS