Years ago, simply having an online presence was enough for one-way broadcasting and distribution of information. Today, the explosion of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many more are driving new forms of social interaction between brands and customers. As a result, there has been a hugely growing demand on becoming social as almost all companies are exploring how they can use these tools most effectively. But the question remains – which channels are right for each brand?

The week that was: Another week; another fresh face. I am one of the newest members to the ever-expanding Digital team here in Dubai. When I’m not being an uber nerd and soaking up anything and everything social-media and technology-related, I’m probably out with friends checking in somewhere on foursquare or break-dancing. Or both. Zuckerberg hosts Obama This week, Facebook hosted America’s one-and-only Barack Obama in an interview at the Paulo Alto Facebook headquarters.

Mashable.com released a lovely infographic about the history of social media that got us here at Arabian Bytes reminiscing about the very first social networks we started using regularly. Image courtesy of Flickr, rishibando, as seen on Mashable.com Do you remember the first website that got you all excited about connecting to others across the world? Or the first chatting service you were hooked on, whilst other family members complained about how the telephone was never free to use anymore (RIP the humble dial-up modem).