In denial about the impact of social media in today’s world? Just take a look at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter have seen epic numbers ever since the World Cup’s start on June 11^th, where web traffic peaked at about 12.1 million visitors per minute.

Twitter saw its biggest numbers yet when on June 14^th users sent out 2,940 tweets per second when Japan scored against Cameroon, and then again on June 24^th during Japan’s victory over Denmark where the site received 3,283 tweets per second. Twitter normally only receives 750 tweets per second. When the U.S. team advanced into the next round on June 23^rd tweets about the epic event dominated 80% of Twitter’s hot topics.

Facebook has been seeing the big numbers too. On June 12^th when the U.S. played England, over 30% of all status updates referred to the match. Facebook also has been partnering up with ESPN and Univision through its Facebook Connect feature which tracks elements like “fan intensity” and allows people watch the game online to chat with other viewers (a feature I myself used on June 23^rd when the U.S. played Algeria, and I must say it is quit cool)

Other social media features include specific Foursquare badges for users that check-in to over 100 viewing venues in 32 countries around the World. As well as Twitters most popular hashtag yet, #Worldcup which receives hundreds of tweets per minute.

Businesses are catching on to the World Cup social media buzz as well. Many advertisers are promoting their twitter and Facebook accounts rather than their own web pages, because social-media sites provide more impact.

All of this illustrates how important and useful social media is, especially in international business and communication. Social media is more personal and makes quick responses easier, resulting in important dialogue. You can start to see the results of a campaign done online in a matter of minutes, and “retweets” and “Facebook shares” are now important numbers in marketing.

Companies are taking note now, but will this hype keep up even after the World Cup winner is crowned? We can only hope.

In my first week of interning at Talk I was asked to read articles and do some research for possible tweets. Later in the day I was asked to research blogging platforms. Twitter and blogging are both two things I have never experienced or learned about. As I started to read the PR blogs and news sources, I started to realize that social media is a huge part of the today’s business world and more importantly public relations. So why is it that in my three years at college I have not learned a single thing about social media, and how it can be used properly in a business setting?

Teachers may see Facebook only as the annoying website that distracts their students during lectures, but they eventually will have to face the truth, that Facebook and other social networking sites are becoming more and more a powerful force in the communications world. If teachers don’t want their students to use social networking sites as just another way to not listen to their lectures, then they should educate students on how to properly use these mediums.

My advice to teachers is to embrace the change, and educate students on how important social networking sites are becoming to major companies. If teachers accept this advice then students will be more prepared for the social media driven world that awaits them. But either way social media is going to continue to grow and change the business world, as we know it.