There are now more than 1.1 billion users on Facebook, and more than 343 million people using Google. YouTube is the world's second largest search engine. More than 400 million tweets are sent daily, and more than 17 percent of e-commerce sites' social media revenue comes from Pinterest. The social media revolution has changed the way brands and consumers communicate--forever--and it's not going away anytime soon. Although 64 percent of advertisers expect an increase to their social media budget in 2013, and many are embracing social media communication, many others are hesitant to jump on the social media bandwagon. Time constraints, ROI benefits and security concerns are common questions when businesses want to start using social media, and answers are sometimes not easily understood. This book is for all those business people, PR professionals, communicators, and influencers who aren't sure what the value is in social media--or how to use it successfully. This book is also for all those content generators, marketers and digital natives who have embraced social but could benefit even more from a strategic communications foundation. Simply put, The SMC Matrix brings the best of both worlds--and bridges the gap to show how to navigate branding, the new consumer audience and crisis situations while in the digital wild wild west.