Studies show that as of January 2022, roughly 4.62 billion people use social media worldwide. Yet, what does that even mean? It is honestly mind-numbing when you think about the sheer amount of implications that number can bring. Yes, that is a large number, but it is not so much the number but the range of possibilities that this can mean for aspiring businesses. Social media is still fairly new and its potential hasn’t been fully understood. However, understanding what it currently does entail could lead to an exponential growth in customers. Many aspects make up social media, ranging from photo and image sharing, networking, video hosting, and video gaming just to name a few. To that extent, there are five things that would be considered the primary functions of social media:
- Reflecting identity
- Opportunity to keep in touch
- Enabling permanent sharing
- Establishing new contacts
- Promotion
Social media can show a person’s preferences and dislikes, and what their personality is like. It can reach out to many people you’ve met or those across oceans that you haven’t. You could trade anything from physical goods, commerce, information, and services. Building relationships through events or social groups made through social media. Now more than ever, anyone has the ability to become marketable. The functionality behind social media thrives off of people being, well, “social.” Interactivity and interconnectivity on a digital scale are not so much a trope of science fiction but in actuality an act we take part in every day.
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Social Media Today
You’re most likely reading this article on either a desktop, laptop, or cell phone. Whether it is yours, your family’s, or your friend’s, this is somehow reaching you. Through your relaxed or even rushed scrolling, you’re going to come across an article mentioning Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, or the current titan in social media uprisings, TikTok. In fact, even if you didn’t, you just did. Here, right now, you were indirectly put in the path’s way of hearing about social media and its many platforms. Even in our modern times, word-of-mouth advertising can still introduce newer inventions which then puts us into the cycle of the digital age. You would not have even needed to download any of their respective apps to know what they are.
Some arguments that can be made as to why social platforms have exploded are probably due to how easily navigable most apps are. Today, no matter the demographic, or even the skillset, anyone could start an account. It is user-friendly and easily accessible. Their interface has proven to be a staple of their increased downloads. This alone has been huge for those interested in not just connecting with friends and family, but also coworkers and colleagues through Linkedin. The amount of time people spend on social platforms in one sitting, reaches that of a feature-length film or almost the amount of time it takes to watch Avenger: Infinity War. The amount of time spent scrolling through our feed isn’t just for connecting, but it is how we also get our news, find out what restaurants are nearby, become inspired, and finally, buy products.
Benefits of Using Social Media
Social media today has become one of the most widely used facets to reach others online. On that note, ordinary people can build a brand off of their name. Influencers have become a valid means of selling products through short-form content. An integral function of most social media is how fast the message can be gotten across to the consumer. Those messages can lead to someone clicking on another influencer which in turn can lead to another and so on.
With the help of social media, users in business have garnered quick responses in search retargeting that has made it easier for people starting their business or even dressing older content in a newly improved SEO suit. Social platforms have truly become a marketer’s dream. For instance, roughly 50 million small businesses use Facebook to market themselves. The interconnectivity that social platforms provide, allows for brand awareness. There is content being pushed out daily. Though sometimes the ones who engage with their audience will end up having more people aware of their existence and inclined to want to see what they have to offer.
If you plan on creating content, have to learn the market. The strongest step you will take in building a social presence will be interacting with the community. Finding your niche is one thing, but making your presence known by being cordial and friendly with those in your targeted community is a skill worth your weight in gold. People find themselves subscribing to a brand if that brand actually sees them as people and not dollar signs. The road to content creating takes an idea that you believe could yield experiences. Not money, not followers, but experience. Let the journey itself be why you want to build a social presence. It will come off more genuine.
Popular Social Media Apps
The amount of social media apps that we’ve gotten may seem like a splash in an ocean of content, but their users make up 56.8% of the world’s population! Of these social platforms, some of the most used ones include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. These are the apps that make up the “social sphere” of our daily lives. Looking at them at first glance, you may even be able to see why they are the most popular social media apps. Individually they have their own uses and fill their niches well enough to separate themselves from one another. Facebook, being one of the earliest iterations of social platforms, has not only ways to connect with people, but it has a tremendous source of information that can be utilized. Just be careful what information you take in, as it could be just as false as it can be real.
One of the downsides of social media is that anyone can post untrustworthy information. In that regard, do your research and anticipate what you deem appropriate. YouTube is a cornucopia of video content made by businesses, yet more so for the average viewer. What anyone can make ranges from long-form to short and since its inception in 2005. Of course, as many other businesses must adapt over time, YouTube matched the craze that spurred from TikTok and later Instagram by developing YouTube Shorts. We are becoming heavily inclined to want to watch anything from one minute to as low as one second. Of these popular social media apps, there are ways to connect, ways to enjoy entertainment, and even the tools necessary for people to create content on their own.
Year Over Year Growth
The progression of social media can be utilized through what is known as the year over year (YoY) calculation that compares data from one time period to another. This is important because it assists in evaluating a company’s overall performance over a certain time period. They allow an easy comparison of your business’s net income concerning the change in that rate. The formula can be explained as:
(GDP of 2022 – GDP of 2021) / GDP of 2021 * 100%
How this ties into the success of social platforms is the same way content creators look at their analytics on places such as YouTube. Whereas creators use their analytics to gather data, a company uses YoY to gather its data. Year over year works for data over an annual rate, though it doesn’t account for what is seasonal. A social platform’s relevance is important to its growth. There are many articles online that compare specific numbers from the current year and show how far that trajectory went; did it fly above their competitors or fall below?
Social Media and SEO Design Chicago
Your presence online could be your bread and butter. It takes time to grow a following for your business and even with knowledge readily available, finding ways to implement into your company’s stratagem may take some extra fine-tuning. Those at SEO Design Chicago have the experience to assist in applying that knowledge. Your business is important to you. With people as passionate as you are at your corner, the journey for your company to reach new heights is only an Instagram or Facebook sign-up away.
FAQ:
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