An electronic platform that is a website or application, which enables users to engage in communication, networking, and sharing content is called a social media platform. Social media platforms include user-generated content, and they are important for companies as marketing platforms, as well as regular users.
The Rise of Social Media
Although digital communication has a long history, the beginning of the internet and social media is considered to be ARPANET created and used by the US Department of Defense in 1969.
In the 1980s and 90’s, the rise of personal computers enabled social media. Blogging in the 1990s shed light on the importance of content sharing. Then came platforms like Friendster in 2001), LinkedIn, and Myspace in 2003. After the launch of Facebook in 2004, social media usage boomed. With its extensive number of users, Facebook is still the most popular platform globally.
Top Social Media Platforms
According to the 2024 data on the number of users of social media, the first five most popular platforms are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok.
Around 37% of people in the world use Facebook. It is the biggest platform with more than 3 billion monthly active users. Facebook’s ability to advertise is disparately foregoing.
YouTube
YouTube’s active monthly users are around 2,5 billion, making the platform one of the top revenue and advertising reach among social media platforms. YouTube’s focus on video content makes it exclusive with rich content. If you want to create a brilliant effect on YouTube, you can benefit from audience growth strategies for all platforms.
Although the platform has more than 2 billion active users, its revenue is lower than others because the platform is slower in monetizing, compared to others. Research shows that WhatsApp is the most used daily communication tool in 2024.
According to studies, while the time spent on Instagram is lower than on TikTok or YouTube, Instagram is still one of the biggest social media platforms with more than 2 billion users. Also being a part of the Meta ecosystem, Instagram plays an essential role in advertising and branding.
TikTok
It is possible to grow fast on TikTok since it has more than 1,5 billion monthly active users. TikTok’s distinctive feature is enabling short videos that users can interact with easily. The platform is one of the most popular advertising spaces for marketers.
In terms of the number of monthly active users, these top platforms are followed by WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, X (Twitter), Snapchat and Pinterest.
Pros and Cons of Social Media
Social media is an inseparable part of our lives. It does not only affect our daily lives but also has a huge impact on businesses, politics, and the marketing world. There are advantages and disadvantages of social media today.
Advantages of Using Social Media Platforms
Some key pros of social media are;
- Connection with people, communicating and networking
- Voicing oneself, expressing ideas and feelings through content
- Staying updated about current affairs
- Promoting and marketing businesses, services, and brands
- Using educational and employment opportunities
Disadvantages of Social Media
If not carefully used, social media might have some disadvantages;
- Social isolation
- Distraction and time management
- Spreading of misinformation
- Privacy and security breaches
- Bullying, scams and fraud
Taking Advantage of Social Media for Marketing
Businesses of all sizes may effectively contact their customers and target audiences through social media platforms. Social media marketing goals are to post content that represents their brands and engage with their audiences.
Social media is one of the most effective channels of marketing. It can be used for free or with paid advertisements. A good marketing strategy helps build and strengthen a brand by increasing communication and engagement.
Essential Points of a Social Media Marketing Campaign
A marketing strategy using social media should include some aspects for successful campaigns. First of all, businesses should know their target audience well for deciding which platform to use, when, and how to use them. Listening to the audience also helps brands and businesses to analyze their position in the market compared to the competitors.
Setting the goals of the campaign according to the analysis is also important for choosing the right social media platforms, content, and frequency. Staying consistent with the general goals of the campaign drives success.
Brands and businesses should have a content strategy with clear messages that are structured according to the marketing goals. For instance, if the business is seeking brand awareness, it should target reaching new customers, exposing the product and services to an audience they have not reached before. The content is better to be creative and in a format that the target audience would like to engage with.
Measuring the campaign’s effectiveness is one of the most essential parts of a successful marketing effort. Tracking engagement metrics gives valuable insight into the audience, the performance of the campaign and the parts that may need adjustment.
While social media platforms offer free content sharing, a successful campaign also includes paid ads according to each platform’s demographics and stats.
FAQ
What is the importance of social media today?
The importance of social media grows day by day since it creates connections even around the globe, and provides real-time information, education, and employment opportunities. Businesses may also take advantage of social media for marketing and promotion purposes.
What are the top social media platforms in terms of the number of users?
According to recent studies, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, WeChat, Snapchat, Telegram, Pinterest, and Facebook Messenger are the top platforms in terms of active monthly users.
What are the benefits of social media marketing?
With their widespread usage, social media platforms offer an opportunity to reach the target audiences. They help increase visibility and brand awareness, drive traffic to the websites, and multiply engagement and communication with the customers and target audience.