There’s no denying that technology is becoming more and more advanced as the years go by. Just look at the world 30 years ago, when not many people had a phone or internet, social media didn’t exist, and if you wanted to learn a new word, you had to use a dictionary. The world is constantly changing, which is a good thing, as it shows that we are going forward and not stopping or going backward.
Now, one of the things we mentioned has gone through quite a journey – social media. It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago, social media like Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat didn’t exist, as today it is hard to find someone who doesn’t have an account on at least one of those platforms. However, why is that? What’s the reason for the increasing social media popularity? There must be one since so many people use them.
Actually, there are plenty of reasons. Want to unscramble the truth? All you have to do is keep reading.
Social Media Gives an Opportunity to Meet New People
Since social media have no geographical restrictions, users have access to millions, if not billions of people from all over the world. One of the advantages of meeting people through social media is that you can look through a person’s profile before you start interacting with them. This will give you a chance to learn something more about them and decide whether you want to get in contact, or not really.
There are plenty of ways you can meet them, the most popular one being belonging to the same interest group. This is also a great ice-breaker – if you have something in common, you can just start a conversation with something like ‘Hey, we belong to the same group, so I thought that I’d say hi.’ The rest will follow.
Social Media are User-Friendly
Another reason why social media is so popular is that most of the social platforms are extremely easy to use. Look at TikTok, for example, which is an app where you post short videos (up to 60 seconds). You don’t even need an account to see the videos – all you have to do is download and open the app.
What’s more, all social media platforms have their mobile apps – there probably isn’t one that doesn’t. This means that you can easily access it from wherever you are, which is great for those who live a hectic life and have no time to open their laptop just to check their socials.
Social Media are Great for Finding a Job and Networking
There are plenty of professional social networking sites, which are very helpful in finding a job, an employee, or establishing your brand online. People can post their skills, publications, articles, etc., to catch the future employer’s attention. Hiring employees through professional social media sites, such as LinkedIn, has actually become quite a popular tactic in many companies.
Another thing that these types of social media platforms are often used for, is networking and getting in touch with people in the same field as you.
Social Media Help Businesses Reach Out to Potential Clients
Last but not least, the reason why social media are so popular today is that they allow businesses to reach larger audiences. Since social media have access to information that, for example, search engines like Google do not have, like the user’s hobbies, interests, and places they quite frequently visit, a company can target their advertisements more appropriately.
You must have noticed that the ads that you see while scrolling through social media are not random – they are either from the sites that you have visited not so long ago or with products that you have been searching for. Also, we cannot forget about sponsored posts on Instagram – influencer marketing has become quite a big deal recently.
Companies prefer to pay a specific amount of money to a social media influencer than spend it on another marketing campaign. Why wouldn’t they? According to studies, people are most likely to buy a product if an influencer recommended it than if they saw an ad promoting it.
The Bottom Line
Social media have changed the game – that’s for sure. Meeting new people from all over the world, or getting in touch with experts in your professional field have never been this easy. Thanks to their availability and the fact that they have their mobile apps, people who live a busy life, can keep in touch with their friends and family without worrying about checking their computer, or how high their telephone bill will be.
Today, there’s one thing we are sure of – social media are thriving. How long will it stay like this? Well, that’s something that only time will be able to tell. The only thing we’re sure of is that they’re getting more targeted and personal.
SME Paid Under
About the Author
