On the Web, media is virtually limitless. The barriers to entry are very small, and the amount of content available is unfathomable. We have become hyper-consumers: we are constantly bombarded with content to consume, and routinely consume multiple forms of media simultaneously. Some see this great mass of content and are intimidated. “How can we complete with all of this?” they reason. Today I’d like to take a more optimistic view of this situation, and see it for the opportunity it really is.

If you told a salesman fifty years ago that he would have the opportunity to pitch his product to every person in the world, he would be thrilled. Yet so many businesses today pass on this same opportunity. Perhaps they’re afraid they will do something wrong, or afraid that they will lose control of their business’ image. Perhaps they simply don’t know the opportunity exists.

There’s no good reason not to take advantage of the free and powerful opportunities to market yourself online. Get involved on Twitter and Facebook. Share content on YouTube, Flickr, and Digg. Engage your customers, and find new ones. The possibilities are endless.

More than anything, I think this is really the goal of this blog – to help people share their stories better and more freely online. Now’s not the time to get stage-fright.

The first is from Brian Solis and Jess3.

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And here’s the second chart, from Lisa D Myers at SearchCowboys.

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The reason that I like both of these charts is that they bring everything together for me in one image. The truth is, there are so many aspects and tactics that comprise online marketing, it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. When I begin work for a new client, or I’m struggling for fresh ideas for an old client, I like to look at these charts to remind myself of all the possibilities of the social Web. I hope you use these charts as a reference for your future endeavors.