And the winner is....

The Global Language Monitor (GLM) documents, analyzes, and tracks the latest trends in word/phrase usage and word/phrase choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English. Interestingly, English creates a new word about every 98 minutes. Last week, the GLM announced the one millionth English word/phrase. And the winner?

"Web 2.0" – meaning the next generation of World Wide Web products and services. It beat out the likes of "slumdog," "shovel-ready" and "octomom."

I thought this was surprising, since Web 2.0 has been around for a long time. However, I learned that before it can be 'accepted,' each word or phrase is analyzed to determine the number of citations and geographic extent of its use, as well as number of appearances in the global print and electronic media, the Internet, the blogosphere, and social media (such as Twitter and YouTube). Words need a minimum of 25,000 citations to qualify.

So what does that mean to you? The key here is that the wide proliferation of social media (including blogs, social networks, Twitter, YouTube, message boards, Flickr, etc.) is having an escalating impact on how people communicate and share information. In fact, two other social media words/phrases were in the top 15 finalists, including "cloud computing," which means services that are delivered via the cloud (or Internet) and "defriend" – social networking terminology for cutting the connection with a formal friend.

As you consider your marketing mix, be sure you capitalize on the exponential growth of social media to reach your target audience. Your customers are communicating online and your prospective customers are listening to them. Let SSA help you become part of the conversation.