Why Social Media Platforms Matter

It is no secret that social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are amongst the most influential and most frequently visited on the Internet. The impact that these sites have had, and continue to have, on us as individuals simply cannot be overstated. They have changed the way we do things, the way we interact with each other, the very way human beings socialise. More than just a social movement, though, social media platforms such as these have drastically changed the way products and services are marketed to the public and how the majority of businesses operate. They have also influenced the way that we consume news and information, and, indeed, how that news is transmitted to, and then processed by, us in the first place. Gone is the necessity for traditional news channels and even print newspapers. With Twitter and the like available at the click of a button, we now have rolling news at our fingertips 24/7 and would not accept any less.

The same can also be said for television and the way that we now watch programmes and enjoy other such entertainment. Where just a few years ago companies would see buying TV advertising for a new product as a no brainer and the main avenue to getting it exposure and reaching their target audience, in 2014 the thought process is likely to be significantly different, and there is one social media platform responsible here – Youtube. The third most visited website (after Facebook and Google), almost a quarter of all web activity and traffic now goes through the world’s biggest video site, with visitors watching on average an excess of four billion videos per day and counting. It’s no surprise, then, that bloggers and companies have jumped on its success and have utilised it for promotional and financial gain. Thousands of people have become celebrities in their own right by uploading content and broadcasting via Youtube, and many thousands more are making a significant income through the site.

Perhaps the biggest testament to its enormous impact and importance in connecting with the public and getting noticed in the modern day is how celebrities and public figures have employed it to make announcements and release exclusive content to the world. Take world famous Olympian diver Tom Daley, for example. At the end of 2013, Daley chose the medium of Youtube to make a personal announcement regarding his sexuality, proceeding to use Twitter and Facebook to discuss and comment on the aftermath. Youtube afforded Daley total control of his announcement and control the narrative, a luxury people in the public eye were starved of prior to the social media revolution. Rather than allow media outlets and bloggers to make frivolous speculations, Daley was able to give clarity and take away the power of the press.

Similarly, businesses are able to benefit from such platforms in the same way, saving unimaginable amounts of money on old-school marketing, research and customer contact. Being able to directly connect with your customer base through the likes of Twitter is highly advantageous, cheap and easy, and gives them peace of mind and customer satisfaction. Some companies have even made their social media sites something of a phenomenon and event in their own right. Just look at the Twitter feeds of the likes of Innocent, Waterstones Oxford Street and O2 who all cleverly have established online personas that keep people interested, encourage them to share their content voluntarily and in turn promote themselves and preserve and build on brand awareness for practically no cost.

Despite Tom Daley using Youtube and Twitter to make his announcement, it cannot be ignored that he did then go down the traditional route and do a formal interview with Jonathan Ross on prime time Saturday night TV. But while this sort of event signifies that traditional outlets, like television, radio and newspapers are unlikely to any time soon, the fact that Daley went to Youtube, Twitter, and even Facebook first shows that their influence is certainly beginning to wane as celebrities, people and businesses are able to take control of their content and work through the utilisation of social media platforms.

via Business 2 Community http://ift.tt/1mBo6fO