In the world of social media, developers are constantly looking to create the next big thing. Corporations and business people are constantly arguing that the future of social media lies within the next big social platform – the next Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But for the purpose of business performance, we may already have access to the most influential social platform that will constantly be altered and manipulated into being the future of social media. An article written on the future of social media supports this notion and expresses that the next big thing is already at our fingertips.
Social networking site Facebook has gained a colossal amount of popularity and has changed the entire game of social media over the past couple of years. Facebook has become a household term and has more users than Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Tumblr combined. The total number of active Facebook users is now well over a billion, and still growing as this number rose 25% over the past year. With the development of Facebook applications for smartphones, the use of Facebook has also changed the way that we use technology in our daily lives. Modern society has gone from constantly being on their computers to constantly being on their smartphones.
“We spend 82 percent of our mobile media time in apps, and Facebook accounts for 23 percent of that in-app time. In short: apps are the mobile web, and Facebook is the most used app in the world” – Jason Stein, CNBC
Businesses who have integrated Facebook into their marketing and customer relations plans now have direct access to all these consumers via their phones. This massive number of users on the same social platform makes Facebook one of the most effective ways of reaching virtually anyone. We are now at a point where over 75% of all smartphone users have the Facebook application, giving advertisers, businesses and corporations access to all of these users worldwide. Facebook is also constantly updating and upgrading its functionality, opening the door for a whole new area of opportunities. From a positive business perspective, Facebook’s new newsfeed pushes brand advertisement that has been deemed interesting to the unique user based on their likes and previously viewed webpages. Companies are even starting to do business on Facebook, as well as taking social media metrics to the next level by allowing customers to identify which advertisements they interacted with and which ones influenced them to make a purchase.
Lessons For Others
Regardless of the new, ‘cool’ social media platforms that are being developed, it is guaranteed that Facebook will remain to have a larger impact due to its enormous number of users, at least for now. By keeping up with the game and constantly adding new features to an already incredible social network, Facebook continues to provide businesses with currently unmatched abilities to reach consumers worldwide. As long as you keep yourself updated with the new tools, features and social competition, Facebook can always provide you with a way of effectively reaching unparalleled masses and connecting with people all over the world.
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Submitted By: Aryana Heit, SMBP Student, University of Waterloo
To contact the author of this entry please email at: aryanaeheit@gmail.com
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Programme Director, Social Media for Business Performance.