The U.S. government aims to watch social media sites more closely, deepening its involvement in online activities at the likely cost of civil liberties.

The use of nation-branding by middle power states has continually increased as other nations engaged in the policy experience some success and create a name for themselves in the international community. Nation-branding allows states to distinguish themselves from other nations or create a new image due to negative perceptions of individuals across the world.

Using the hashtag #AskState, participants from around the world can simultaneously submit questions and share ideas directly with Under Secretary Sonenshine about U.S. public diplomacy.

The Walk a Mile campaign combines two causes that Michelle Kwan is passionate about - promoting healthy living and cultural understanding into one global platform for good.

We encourage the use of social media. We encourage athletes to engage and to connect," Hout said. "There are some rules to follow, there's no question about it. But we don't police the fans, we don't police the athletes. We don't do that. What we do is we engage.

The social media revolution is taking place not just in Tahrir Square and Arab streets, but also in foreign ministries around the world as policymakers try to grasp the demands of real-time diplomacy.

Far from being rendered irrelevant by technological progress, where governments can communicate with one another directly on a need-to basis, diplomacy has become an increasingly critical instrument in an age of interdependence and globalization.