“…In less than a generation, social media has evolved from a The transformation of direct electronic information interchange into a virtual meeting place, commerce platform, and critical 21st-century marketing instrument A "online community," according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as "a form of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and micro blogging) through which people can form online communities to share information and ideas, to send personal messages, and to post other types of content" (such as videos). [1,[3][4][5] Throughout the remainder of this chapter, will examine the roots of social media, its relatively quick emergence as a social and economic force, and the changes it has brought about in the marketing industry. Following the introduction of blogging, social media has seen a meteoric rise in popularity.…”