Why do we use social networks?
As I sit on my deck, looking out over the water, listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins and other great Blues musicians, it puts me in a philosophical mood. The question I’m thinking about tonight is “why do we use social media and how did it become so expansive?”
First we have to look at ourselves. Human beings in a collective sense have an internal desire to share information with each other. We also have a desire to be recognized by our peers for the contributions we make. A typical conversation usually contains some kind of exchange about current events, opinions, or recommendations. Recommendations can range from a movie someone recently watched to the best place to eat sushi. These recommendations and reviews are our subconscious attempts to help our peers and demonstrate our knowledge or expertise (gained through the experiences we’ve had). We also have to admit, that our recommendations and freely dispensed information were not for a completely altruistic motive. We all crave a little attention and social acceptance. After all, we are social creatures.
With the invention of the Internet, information could be widely distributed and online communities formed. The first communities were mainly restricted to “tech junkies”. These were communities that communicated primarily through DOS and command-based prompt screens. Online social networking has gone into overdrive in a very short period of time. Due to our need to interact with each other, social networking platforms like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. They have skyrocketed and developed extremely user friendly sites that allow even the most technically challenged person to create a profile for the world to see. (usually it only takes 5 minutes to create a profile).
All over the world, people are digitally connected. We now have access to reviews of movies our friends have seen, which store has the best game in town, where not to go, the best clubs in town, and much more. There is a 24/7 live information feed that is uploaded to the internet for the whole world to see. The best part of this is our ability to add to the conversation. We are no longer mere spectators watching television commercials, but we can interact with our neighbors and with multi-billion dollar companies. This is where the REAL power of social media marketing lies.
we use social networks because they allow even the smallest voice to connect with the biggest companies and people. It gives a movement of one person the ability to take their message to millions and possibly start a national campaign. It allows an entrepreneur without funds and with a great idea to obtain much-needed capital from their peers through Crowdfunding.
Social media is here and it will never go away. Although platforms may change, the core concept behind social media will always be with us. The consumer now knows that he has a voice and will never let it go.
