What is social media? Ultimate guide to master your skills

If one were to look back at a time before the internet, it would be apparent that the way people communicated and interacted with others had to be in person. Thanks to the unlimited potential of the internet, however, social media has made that process not only easier, but way more accessible as well. Social media refers to ways to express and interact with others via a computer based hub used for sharing information and personal ideas. This can be done through the use of a computer, phone or any other kind of technological product that has access to the internet. Furthermore, these tools can be accessed via the web or applications downloaded onto the medium of choice. It can be used for personal purposes or to expand and market businesses as well.  

Main applications of social media 

• For Personal Use 

• For Business Purposes 

Social media for personal use 

The most common use of social media is for personal purposes, such as keeping in contact with friends and family. It is also a platform for expressing individual ideas and opinions. Some platforms use the concept of a “wall” or “feed” which allows for a centralized source for feeding and, in turn, producing information. This works as a way to express what one is thinking or feeling at the moment, or to share information that someone else has created, like photos or blog posts. Conversely, it can also be a platform for which one can get a bunch of information from various sources at once, by simply scrolling or searching.  

Social media for business purposes 

In the same way that social media allows for personal expression of ideas, it can also allow for business to reach their market and followers as well. Customers become engaged via marketing and algorithm based hubs that suit their individual needs and likes. It also can make the process of interacting with the customer much simpler, allowing them to have much quicker access to support as well as information they would need on a certain product or service. It can also provide a place for customers to even go as far as purchasing products directly from the source of the businesses themselves.  This allows businesses to acquire analytics and information about the patterns and trends that their customer base is attributing to.  

Examples of social media platforms 

The biggest social media platforms today have to be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. All of these platforms each provide different uses for both individuals and businesses. Facebook, facilitates sharing all kinds of information through various means such as video, text, and marketing tools. Instagram is primarily focused on sharing photos and brief videos. Twitter allows users to post short thoughts with a limited word count, often including photos and videos. Finally, the most recent of these platforms is TikTok, which allows users to post highly edited videos that could potentially reach millions of people via a highly receptive algorithm catered to the specific likes of the viewer.  

Social media marketing  

With the large amount of people using all these different platforms, many businesses have had the idea to market themselves via them. This concept is known as social media marketing, and is highly effective in reaching big groups of people. With the social media algorithms catering to the like as and affiliations of the people on their platform, this is one of the most effective ways to both market a business, as well as contribute specifications and products directly to the people themselves.  

Social media and recruiting 

There are other platforms, such as Indeed or Linkedin, which allow people to find jobs or businesses to recruit the right people to their causes. These platforms function similarly to others like Facebook, but are catered to specifically bringing a group of people into their businesses. These are great tools for those looking into niche job areas or trying to get their work portfolio out into the public eye.  

We recommend that you keep updating yourself on the latest trends and acquire the right knowledge. If you want to know more about what social media is, I invite you to look closely at the Online Specialized Course in Social Media Management.