"Social networking" is not a new term. It has been around since the 1950s but only came into common use in 2004, when Facebook.com introduced itself as a social networking Web site, according to Jeannie Dellutro, one of two speakers at a June 10 luncheon of public relations professionals in Daytona Beach.

The speakers, hosted by the Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Assn., were Stetson University's Savannah-Jane Atkins, community engagement specialist, and Dellutro, assistant director of student activities for involvement and diversity programs.

Atkins and Dellutro explained how MySpace and Facebook can be used effectively for public relations purposes, especially with young audiences.

Facebook still attracts young users due to its origins, Dellutro explained. Harvard University started the concept as a litteral "face book" for its freshmen, a way to see pictures and profiles of others in their graduating class. Myspace.com users tend to be less educated than
the Facebook demographic, but enjoy more flexibility to post music and videos thanks to its origins. Independent bands counted on Myspace for their promotions in the site's early days in 2003.

Despite the limits of Facebook, Dellutro predicts that the networking site will eclipse Myspace in user numbers in the next couple years. The reason for its pending rise, she suggests, is the appeal of increased privacy over other social networking sites.

Privacy is what drives some users to these types of Web sites. In most cases, only people you have marked as a friend may view your conversations, photos or profiles. Fortune 500 companies take advantage of the medium to target advertising to specific demographics, Dellutro said. Also, a consumer is more likely to trust the word of a friend of a friend.

But there are ways to market an organization to a larger group on social networking sites. Event and group postings allow greater numbers to interact. Ning.com is a place where people can create their own social networks.

Dellutro gave the 50 attending the luncheon a definition of social networking. Sociologist J.A. Barnes first coined the term to describe interactions around shared interests between people in the "real" world (among groups of approx. 100-150 people).