Though the Asian countries I recently visited are at different stages of B2B adoption, they’re all acutely aware of how much social media is changing communication—making it more about engagement and less about broadcast.

And in response to these new market demands, organizations that use social media most effectively are those who see social media for what it really is: a tool for building community.

For instance, we’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Twitter recently, but we shouldn’t forget that it’s not the brand name that’s important; it’s the activity that the tool makes possible that is important. It’s the social and business networking—the sense of community engagement—that is the key difference.

Social media pioneer Gary Vaynerchuk recently made this point well in a keynote address for Mediabistro. The first 15 minutes or so alone is highly quotable. Consider the following: “Twitter is a frickin’ marker. Facebook is Scotch tape.” How true is that?

Another lesson is that, despite different adoption curves, global B2B enterprises are beginning to use social media everywhere, so if the existing solutions don’t offer in-language versions or support, copycats and local alternatives are quickly emerging—some with even better features and functionality. Below is a quick comparison of the services available in Asia and the U.S.:

At Juniper Networks, one of my continuing goals is to nurture an understanding about the potential and variety of social media available. It’s easy to get excited about new technology when it appears, but I never let that overshadow the engagement opportunities it creates. After all, “Facebook is just Scotch tape.”

*There is no clear leader in B2B SNS at this time, since being anonymous is a part of the online culture in Japan. I suspect this is because many Japanese people are concerned that their “Internet personality” will be discovered by friends or colleagues. According to my Japanese counterparts in Juniper Networks, some anonymous power users, using “screen names,” have quite a bit of influence in the Japanese social media culture. In addition, many believe being anonymous will protect them from identity theft and potentially even some levels of online harassment. My prediction, however, given that there are over 25 million users reported as of November 19, 2009, is that Mixi may eventually transition to that B2B SNS leader.