Enterprise 2.0 Boston - Another social media conference masquerading as a tech event?

Having covered upwards of a dozen technology events in the past year, there's been one constant at each conference or seminar - each leans unabashedly toward the magic of social media tools and techniques.

As was true with the Cable show at the Hynes this winter, the buzz at Enterprise 2.0 is all about building communities, leveraging Web tools, and lowering the barrier to communicating with your chosen networks.

What's that mean?

It means that businesses, as always, are searching for the low-hanging fruit in their efforts to find new customers and build their company's success.

Does it work?

I'd say it does. At least for the companies putting on the conferences. As I type this from the Westin Waterfront Hotel Ballroom in Southie, nearly 200 people around me are listening to Jascha Franklin-Hodge, the CTO of Blue State Digital.

Who's that? He's the guy that helped get Barack Obama elected by creating my.barackobama.com.

That might be old news, but leveraging iPhone tools, social media sites and tools (Facebook, Twitter, Gathr.me) to generate buzz, money, attention and other similar capital is the rage of the day.

These tools and methods have seemingly shut down the traditional connection avenues that firms used to use to get into the news.

To be successful and really connect with people, "...simply put, don't send press releases..." said Franklin-Hodge.

This sentiment probably makes the PR professionals cringe, but it's how we're communicating today. Or at least that's what you'll hear from the people at this busy conference.

You'd also believe it to read some of the conference sessions planned for the next two days. Names like - "Complete Web Monitoring: Getting the Big Picture of Your Online Presence"; "The Future of SOcial Messaging in the Enterprise"; and "Does Social Media and Marketing Matter?"

Finally, before the session ends, what's an Enterprise? I think it's simply a $10,000 word for business. What's Enterprise 2.0? It's the new way companies do business using the tools of the day. And today's tools are all social media.

Keynote's wrapping up, but I'll try to share more of the conference with you via more posts later today and tomorrow.

What do you think of social media? Why should businesses use it...or not?