Social media rise is an invisible bridge between people living in different parts of the world. It can be understood as a virtual connective agent, that helps people to check up on each other without even leaving their homes, but still having the means to share moments, conversate, and enjoy each other’s company by just tapping on our screens.
The literal definition of social media states that Social media helps people share ideas and information through online networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. It allows users to post content, interact, and form communities.
Emergence of Social Media:
The internet is flooded with various dates and events revolving around when and how social media started. There is no exact answer to the question of when the first social media site was launched and the articles and evidence available on the web consist of information and claims which is debatable.
According to a Google search, the first-ever social media site was launched in the year 1997, under the name Six Degrees, by Andrew Weinreich in May 1996. The site was named after the theory of ‘Six degrees of separation’ and allowed users to create a profile that lists their interests, and then connect with others who shared similar interests.
Over the course of its development, social media has undergone a remarkable transformation, progressing from a simple medium for exchanging electronic information to a dynamic virtual meeting hub, and further evolving into a robust retail platform that now serves as a vitally important marketing tool in the 21st century.
Social Media Usage:
Every 3 out of 5 people, who have attained the knowledge to operate a mobile device, are a consumer of social media. Most people are of the view that the reason why almost half of the human population is a consumer of social media is because it is the easiest way to self-entertain, but the actual reason, in my humble opinion, is its user-friendly interface and attractive design.
More than 4.7 billion people use social media, equal to roughly 60% of the world’s population. Social media messaging apps and platforms are the most commonly used sites worldwide. In early 2023, 94.8% of users accessed chat and messaging apps and websites, followed closely by social platforms, at 94.6% of users.
Social Media Usage in the United States:
Around 72% U.S. adult population uses social media rise . 73% of U.S. adults consume YouTube daily. 69% of U.S. adults use Facebook, and 75% of U.S. adults enjoy scrolling through Instagram and Snapchat.
Most used Social Media Platforms:
The top 10 social media platforms are:
- Facebook with 2.9 billion monthly active users.
- YouTube with 2.2 billion monthly active users.
- WhatsApp with 2 billion monthly active users.
- Instagram with 2 billion monthly active users.
- TikTok with 1 billion monthly active users.
- Snapchat with 538 million monthly active users.
- Pinterest with 444 million monthly active users.
- Reddit with 430 million monthly active users.
- LinkedIn with 250 million monthly active users.
- Twitter with 217 million monthly active users.
Purpose of social media in the modern world:
As stated above, the sole purpose of launching social media was to help people across the globe to connect with their friends and family without a hassle, and share moments of sorrow and joy, whenever, and wherever. However, in this age of capitalism and consumerism, social media is used as a tool to make a quick buck. Back then it only offered a means to make connections, today, it has become a utility for marketing agencies and businesses.
For the common people, social media has become a necessity, an essential part of their day-to-day life. People cannot only connect with zero hindrances, but also a platform to shop, sell, advertise, date, chat, work, and so on, and so forth.
Benefits of Social Media:
Let’s look at some of the benefits of social media.
Expand Work Relationships
Social media rise is all about connecting individuals. From a work point of view, you can greatly expand your online group of work contacts by connecting with coworkers, mentors, idols, and other professionals. If you take care of and develop those relationships, you will have a completely new group of people to ask for help or advice when you are searching for job opportunities or career guidance.
Sharing your Expertise
Social media allows you to share things you know and things you want others to know about you. By sharing what you know, you will meet and connect with people who could be beneficial to your career and personal life. Learn how to share your work experience, accomplishments, and outcomes, and you will have more chances to meet and communicate with people who have the same interests and goals as you.
If you like posting about subjects you know a lot about, you can start to gain trust. This applies not only to how you appear on the internet. If you are your true self and your online behavior matches how you are in real life, it shows that people can trust you. The connections you make with others will be real and important.
Self-Education
Social media helps you focus on things that truly interest you and articles that you enjoy reading. You can make lists of content from people you like, experts in the field, or news sources. You can quickly find out about what is happening around you and the current events.
Social Media Marketing:
Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to advertise and sell products and services. It is also used to interact with current customers and attract new ones. Social media marketing is powerful because social media has a unique ability in three important marketing aspects: connecting people, allowing interaction, and collecting customer information.
Social media marketing has changed how businesses can affect the way people behave. They can now promote content that gets people engaged, and use personal data to make their messages more relatable to users.
Because social media is everywhere today, businesses need to use marketing techniques on these platforms to be successful. Using social media to promote your business can be a cheaper option with a lot of visibility, but it needs regular attention and may result in unintentional negative reactions.
Conclusion:
To summarize, it is a known fact that human beings are social creatures and thrive when given a chance to communicate and share. With the emergence of social media rise, survival has been made simple, bearable, and even fun. This invention, i.e., social media has now transformed into a phenomenon, as it greatly impacts our lives and allows us to do multiple things all at once.
If you plan to use social media as a marketing tool for your business or personal branding, you can rely on companies such as slidershift. Their social media experts can significantly help in making your social media presence known to as many people as you aim for.
