Social Media’s History and Where it’s Going

Social media is not a twenty first century invention- it’s become more main stream because more and more people are getting hooked.  Facebook, Twitter, and the other established social networks are becoming the modern and most common way to communicate, but they have had former counterparts, which have served as trial and error.  Social media has a history of achievements and errors, which has brought us to the high-paced, technological world we live in today.

The first email was sent in 1971 between computers that were right next to each other, launching the beginning of online communication.  Throughout the last two decades of the twentieth century, various networks emerged to cater to different kinds of people (such as LinkedIn for professionals, Flickr for avid photo fans.)  And Facebook had its predecessors- social media utilities that invited everyone to participate- such as GeoCities, SixDegrees, Friendster, and Myspace.  These networks have come and gone, and have been replaced by the known social media giants of today.  So what’s in it for today’s current social media networks?

On a business standpoint, more and more customers need to be reached through social media.  Social media conversations are growing louder and have replaced traditional modes of communication (such as a phone call or text between friends.)  Businesses are using social media to focus on their target group instead of trying to cater to everyone.  By choosing the right channel, marketers can be more efficient in their consumer approach.  Businesses also have to be more responsive and instant, which will focus more attention on replying to positive and negative consumer feedback.  Social media is also gearing businesses toward using online networks for advertising and communicating with the public.  Brand awareness through social networking platforms has become huge for many companies.  Social media is still growing, and businesses need to realize the wealth of information it provides and harness that resources the online networks make available.

Comments are closed.