Last year, Google launched Google Wave in an attempt to re-invent e-mail. On 4th August 2010, the team at Google have made a decision to drop the development of Google Wave as a standalone product and the site will be maintained through the end of the year. Some pundits were taken by surprise, but there is a lesson to be learnt from this decision: Keep calm and move on.

As everyone around me would know, this entire July I have been actively involved in online fundraising for my school project – where 85 students majoring in Public Relations in Murdoch University in Singapore have been assigned to 14 different causes to work with.

Using social media, we raised funds of over $10,000 with zero cost.

What is the buzz about social media?
It is just another fad, or is it here to stay?

It has been around for quite some time – many businesses are using it as a new marketing tool; MNC, SME, even non-profit organizations like churches, museums, schools are implementing this to get closer to their audiences.

First of all: Does your company have a website?
As we already know from theories of marketing, consumers when making purchase decisions retrieve information from their Awareness set, then then to consideration. If you are not online out there for them to find you, then there is zero chance of being found. But of course, just being out there is not enough – that is why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was introduced.

Now we have micro-blogging – blogging made easier to update, either via web, mobile, with a limit of max 140 characters (so just speak to the point!) Some examples are Twitter, Plurk, Fmylife, but mainly focusing on Twitter.