Social Networking Sites
With 10 seconds on the clock, how many social networking sites can you list? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram? Sure, everyone knows the big three. Snapchat and TikTok? Ok, so you know what the kids are on. What about those used for video and picture sharing, like YouTube, Vimeo, Pinterest and Imgur? What about forum platforms like Tumblr and Reddit? What about WhatsApp, Skype, and now popular due to the pandemic, Zoom, that are used for personal and business communication?
Are you with me so far? Have you heard of all of these? That’s great, but we’re just getting started! According to the Pew Research Center, “72% of the public uses some type of social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves.” And that’s just in the America! There are many other social networking sites that are only used by people in other countries or who speak other languages. For example, Sina Weibo is very popular in China with about 521 million users; that’s more than the population of the US and it’s not even China’s most popular social networking site!
More data from the PEW Research Center shows that, “For many users, social media is part of their daily routine. Seven-in-ten Facebook users – and around six-in-ten Instagram and Snapchat users – visit these sites at least once a day.” There’s no doubt that Social media is a subject that is going to be credited to our generation and our part of the history books, but which ones will they talk about? There are so many new sites and popping up every day that we don’t even have an accurate number of how many social media platforms exists in the world today. We might not have even encountered what will become the most used social networking site yet! According to Data Reportal’s Digital 2021 April Global Statshot Report, there are currently 32 social media platforms with at least 100 million monthly active users. As more people start using social media, which is inevitable as time goes on, there will be more social media brands created to fulfill their needs.
The point is that social media is here to stay. While social media usage might still be optional for personal use, it might already be a necessity for professional use. For most businesses these days, staying relevant involves having an active social media presence. How else are they meant to interact with new, potential customers while keep existing customers interested without throwing a giant party every day?! As much fun as a huge event would be, it’s just not cost effective, and especially now, during the pandemic, not even legal. Social media allows businesses to engage with hundreds, thousands, even millions of people without having to do much more than lifting a finger to type.
We might complain that social media is taking over our lives, but we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. With thousands of social media platforms and more coming soon, it’s vital for businesses to develop a social media presence if they don’t want to get lost in the trend that is taking over. Social media is the future and therefore the future of business too. If you need help transitioning your business to the digital world, contact The Lighthouse Consultancy for a free consultation today!
