Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Is becoming an integral part of life online as social websites and applications proliferate. Most traditional online media include social components, such as comment fields for users. In business, social media is used to market products, promote brands, connect to current customers and foster new business.
The “social” part: refers to interacting with other people by sharing information with them and receiving information from them.
The “media” part: refers to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while TV, radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).
There are some common features:
- Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.
- User-generated content, such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions, are the lifeblood of social media.
- Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization.
- Social media facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user’s profile with those of other individuals or groups.
We have to main roles that look after Social Media :
- The first one is a Social Media Manager; is responsible for being the brand on social media. They create content, respond to comments, answer questions, and much more as the brand. Social media managers, more often than not, deal with people who have a relationship with, or have heard of, the brand.
- The other one is Community Manager; is responsible for advocating the brand on social networks. They create their own social persona and actively go out within the online community to connect with potential customers and advocate the brand. Community managers typically deal with those who haven’t heard of the business they work for and boost awareness for the company.
The term social media is usually used to describe social networking sites such as:
- Facebook: an online social networking site that allows users to create their personal profiles, share photos and videos, and communicate with other user.
- Twitter: an internet service that allows users to post “tweets” for their followers to see updates in real-time.
- LinkedIn: a networking website for the business community that allows users to create professional profiles, post resumes, and communicate with other professionals and job-seekers.
- Pinterest: an online community that allows users to display photos of items found on the web by “pinning” them and sharing ideas with others.
- Snapchat: an app for mobile devices that allows users to send and share photos of themselves doing their daily activities.
The most popular nowadays ( Last Updated October 1, 2016 ) are :
- Facebook : 1,100,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Yotube : 1,000,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Twitter : 310,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Linkedin : 255,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Pinterest : 250,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Google Plus + : 120,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Tumblr : 110,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Instagram : 100,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- Reddit : 85,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
- VK : 80,000,000 – Estimated Unique Monthly Visitors
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