If you are interested in how social networking platforms such as Facebook and MySpace are having a real impact on retailing check out this report by Robin Goad of Hitwise Intelligence.

It shows that 'click-through' rates from social media sites to retail sites increased by 153% in less than 12 months.

Combine that with the often stated fact that 'personal recommendation' is one of the most powerful factors influencing a decision to purchase and you see why all marketing and PR people should be actively starting to participate in online conversations.