There is evidence that cavemen went to clan gatherings to meet, worship and compete. The ancient Romans and Greeks went to the market to buy things, exchange information and to socialize. These gatherings and markets were, for those civilizations, "social media."

Social media as we know it today - Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, Digg, etc. - are the virtual gathering places for today's global population. Our communities are no longer bounded by geography. We can visit family, converse with like-minded people, debate issues or do business where ever and whenever we want.

When you join a social community, especially Twitter, you can almost hear people slurping an ice cream cone as they describe it; you'll get alerts to news faster than CNN can report it; or you'll share a live seminar via Twitter. There are few rules of order in this new media other than keeping it real, authentic and simple.

Individuals and companies can't be expected to tackle every social media platform at one time. But it is essential to figure out which ones make sense for promoting you and/or your business or clients.

I jumped in with both feet, and while I admit that it's not always easy for me to keep up with Facebook, LinkedIn, my blog, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, the fact is that I'm participating. 

The social media landscape is evolving and changing by the minute. The only thing we can do to keep up is to stay engaged. Constantly test the various channels to determine the right one for each of us personally and for business.