Social networks and viral media have become the new lifestyle habit of choice. And with an estimated 400 million social network users on the Web, Internet communities have broken the marketing process wide-open. The beauty of social networks is, as Seth Godin puts it: "A marketer does something and then a consumer tells five or ten people." It keeps repeating on, and "the marketer doesn't have to do anything else!"

And now, Web sites are making new media a native part of the social mix. Check out Buzznet, a social media exchange where millions of users connect with their peers as well as musicians and trendsetters through self-created content, videos, photos and journals.

Here's three good reasons why it's time to join the techno-party:

1. The viral and sight-and-sound power of networked media and social groups is a breakaway industry trend.
2. The broadband media mix is becoming embedded in people's desktop habits.
3. Such applications will flourish in the workaday and personal worlds well into 2010.

Combine the viral word-of-mouth power with the community inclusion of social networks, and you have great power. Then add new media (video, audio, image)—the rock star of data types—and you have the makings of a mass cultural magnet.

The Point: It's time to techno-socialize. All these new forms of media and user-generated content are increasingly available to consumers, and they're not going away anytime soon. Join the party! 

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