Twitter and Facebook are constantly being added to as Facebook improves on its original product while Twitter is struggling for relevance. And Instagram? It’s still developing, but the platform is already gaining popularity as users flock to it as a free platform to interact and post pictures.
Over the past few years, numerous social media websites have exploded in popularity. Every day new social sites spring up claiming to be the next best thing. We’ve all come to rely on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. What do these social media platforms have to offer us?
This question has haunted social media platforms for years. The question seems to be: Can social media websites ever actually replace traditional media? Will social media ever be the main medium for interaction for people in general?
According to the internet marketing expert Venn Diagram, the answer is that no social media websites will replace traditional media. However, traditional media has been losing ground to the competition for a number of years now. In fact, there is quite a bit of research stating that social media can be used as a marketing tool as opposed to simply being a place to stay up-to-date on what’s going on.
The data says that we are seeing an increase in brand awareness through social media, but what data is this coming from? Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have a lot of traffic and influence, but they are not the sole means to reach the targeted audience. In fact, social media sites like Instagram may be the best way to communicate with your target audience.
You see, traditional media will never change – it’s just that Twitter and Facebook have changed in terms of their functionality and how they are implemented. Rather than having to remember to refresh your Twitter feed, or trying to stay up-to-date on Facebook, you can simply go to Instagram, send a message, and see a photo pop up. All you have to do to see the image is click the big “Likes” button in the top right hand corner of the page.
Now, to be fair, Instagram is not Facebook or Twitter, but even so, it’s just one tool to help you keep track of your activities, and what’s interesting in your social network, and make new friends. As more people use Instagram and use it to communicate and grow in their networks, and the more “likes” they get, the more recognition they will get. As they gain more followers, the more exposure they’ll get.
