What Is Social Media?

Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that are designed to allow people to share content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time. many people define social media as apps on their smartphone or tablet, but the truth is, this communication tool started with computers. this misconception stems from the fact that most social media users access their tools via apps.

social media used in business or in personal use. no matter how you use them, you likely are using at least one social network. people are starting to rely on media like facebook, instagram, and even tools like twitter. these networks engage people. they bring a very large world together in a simple and easy way. in addition, they are often free to use, which makes them ideal for small and large businesses.

social media features.

Personal user accounts: if a site allows visitors to create their own accounts that they can log into, then that's a good first sign it might be used for some kind of user-based interaction — perhaps social interaction. although it's possible to share information or interact with others online anonymously, having to create some kind of user account first is more of a common, standard thing.

Profile pages: since social media is all about communication, a profile page is often necessary to help represent an individual and give them a space to create their own personal brand. it often includes information about the individual user, like a profile photo, bio, website, feed of recent posts, recommendations, recent activity and more.

Personalization: social media sites usually give users the flexibility to configure their user settings, customize their profiles to look a specific way, organize their friends or followers, manage the information they see in their news feeds and even give feedback on what they do or don't want to see.

Information updating, saving or posting: if a site or an app allows you to post absolutely anything, with or without a user account, then it's social! it could be a simple text-based message, a photo upload, a youtube video, a link to an article or anything else.

Review, rating or voting systems: besides liking and commenting, lots of social media sites and apps rely on the collective effort of the community to review, rate and vote on information that they know about or have used. think of your favorite shopping sites or movie review sites that use this social media feature.

Social Media Platforms:

Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos, and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family, and colleagues.

Twitter is a free microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets. twitter members can broadcast tweets and follow other users' tweets by using multiple platforms and devices.

Linkedin is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. the goal of the site is to allow registered members to establish and document networks of people they know and trust professionally.

Reddit is a social news website and forum where stories are socially curated and promoted by site members. the site is composed of hundreds of sub-communities, known as "subreddits." each subreddit has a specific topic such as technology, politics or music. reddit site members, also known as, "redditors," submit content which is then voted upon by other members. the goal is to send well-regarded stories to the top of the site's main thread page.