With the arrival of smartphones, social media has become as powerful as a refreshing cup of coffee, early in the morning. Saying that social media has taken the world by storm is like saying that rain is wet or that fire hurts, it’s a bit of an understatement. Social media has become a part of our lives and we don’t even realize how attracted we are to it. Today, our lives have become increasingly public as we
share most of our actions on various social networking websites.
The golden era of Social Media started during the mid-2000s. At that time, internet culture was quite new and the sites we cherish so much today were just starting out. Initially, it was the kids’ using websites such as MySpace, Hi5.com, Orkut and now the popular sites including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are used by people across all age groups. They have become a gateway for most people to connect with friends and family across the globe.
Back then, social media trends such as Orkut, MySpace, MSN Messenger, etc shaped our social lives.
One could spend hours modifying their profiles, choosing their top friends and much more. Earlier, people used to communicate and chat on Hotmail Messenger, and now Facebook Messenger is all we know. A major change happened when video call was launched by Skype, it was hard to use as not everyone could afford a webcam, microphones or speakers at that time. But today, the picture is not the same anymore. There are many mobile applications like Facetime, Tango, Whatsapp Video calling, etc, through which connecting with loved ones around the globe has become simpler. With time, social media has changed to the level, that one can order books, food, clothes, furniture, and even fruits and vegetables online. For all such purposes, applications can be downloaded in smartphones in no time.
In today’s scenario, topmost brands are active on social media platforms, As per social media examiner, more than 95% of marketers use social media marketing, but many are not sure what tools are best to use it. This shows a huge potential for online advertising to increase recognition, build deals, bring new opportunities and improve brand loyalty to converse as well. Social networks rise and fall, but the advantages attached to them are too good to be ignored by the entrepreneurs.
The arrival of social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and My Space in 2003-2004 set off the shift of internet users from playing online games to making a connection on social networking sites. The sites appealed the age group of 18-25 on large scale and this audience segment formed a more significant subset of the target audience for various brands across industry verticals. As a result, brands and marketers started leveraging social media to advertise their products and services.
Brands get extended liberty from Social Media Channels of creating profiles/pages for engaging with the users. As consumers prefer real-time engagement, Brands have also shifted their line of communication towards more of storytelling than directly promoting their products. This has resulted in increased user engagement and thereby gaining the loyalty of their customers. Social media is actually helping brands create their own advocates cost-effectively and measurably.
At the end, we just want to say that, as social media is growing, brands are taking the opportunity to connect and engage with the target audience for communicating their brand story.
