Connect. Let’s just think about this word for a moment. When you think about it, doesn’t it form the basis of everything humankind does? As it turns out, the Oxford dictionary defines “connect” as bringing objects together or into contact with one another so that a real or notional link is established. The resulting link formed can be a powerful force, like in the past where it formed the basis for an entire nation’s claim on another piece of territory. Nowadays, it forms the bond between friends, lovers and businesses. It was traditional for two or more people interacting to meet personally, talk face to face and display emotions felt in that moment of time. However, with the rise of technology and the assistance of phone calls, text messages and eventually, social media, this interaction has been reduced and it’s become easier and faster to interact than ever before and inversely, far less personal and emotional.
The lack of physical interaction between people, thanks in part to social media, is more of an issue in terms of forming genuine bonds with each other personally. The idea of having hundreds of friends or followers on social media is flattering and tempting but the real question is, which of those friends are those who actually care for you as a friend? Nevertheless, being human, we yearn for a more intimate connection which is why social platforms that integrate pictures and video, such as Snapchat or Instagram, are becoming more and more popular each day. While being good mediums for people to develop stronger bonds with one another, considering the constant growth in technology, we may one day find ourselves in a situation reminiscent of science fiction novels with human holograms appearing out of screens to make for an even more personal bond. Whatever the case, social media has become an integral part of our lives, both socially and economically, as important as straight up effective marketing strategies in general.
Having explored it socially, now let’s consider the economic value. Originally intended to create a realm within the Internet for people to communicate easily at any time by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Evan Spiegel of Snapchat. The result? Well, the reality is that people spend endless amounts of time on these networks, interacting with their links (including ourselves :P). It’s the amount of time that we have somewhat subconsciously catered our lives to social media that has made it the primary medium for companies to advertise to us. Furthermore, with millions of daily views and tens of thousands of posts, social media has become a lucrative market and an important asset to have.
Additionally, by obtaining user information, companies can obtain a larger and more interested client base to increase profits. So how effective is social media marketing? Extremely. It has become the epicenter for many businesses and individuals’ livelihoods and its value tremendous as it allows customers to connect with businesses faster and more efficiently than ever before, thus raking in larger profits for those businesses. It’s a win-win situation, with the only slight negative being that we as consumers are very much already engulfed in advertising.
Otherwise, enjoy the images, videos and inforgraphics, before another cheaper and more effective method of spreading messages and making links comes around (don’t say we didn’t warn you about the holograms!)