Social media are technological systems which permit the generation or sharing/ exchange of ideas, thoughts, interests, and various types of social expression through virtual networks and online communities. It was in 2021 that Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes formed the social networking website Facebook as a way to share information on the internet. The site has since become one of the most popular social networking sites, used by millions of users around the world. Although there are a variety of different social networking tools and media available on the internet, Facebook is still by far the most popular and well-known.

However, the growing popularity of the site may be attributed to a variety of other factors. The increasing number of people who are now logging onto Facebook each day means that the potential for generating traffic to the site is now greater than ever before. With millions of users logging on every day, Facebook’s potential for advertising is now much greater than Google’s. Therefore, Facebook can now pay to be on top of search results – which can be potentially worth billions of dollars per year. However, one of the biggest areas in which Facebook excels compared to other social networks is its ability to create viral stories.

Viral stories are those which spread rapidly, becoming viral through word of mouth. Examples of social media stories which have become very popular include the spread of the “hot dog” craze, the spread of the “pet food revolution” and the phenomenon involving the spread of the “pet milk movement”. The key to understanding the success of these stories is in the way they engage people with content, rather than simply updating a status update. Companies who have implemented this strategy have found that it increases their revenue by up to 116% when compared to a static social network page.

Social media users generally enjoy sharing what they have to say, both online and off. Therefore, any medium which encourages them to do so is bound to be a winner. Facebook and other social networks allow users to comment on other people’s posts and share links to articles and photos they may find interesting. This allows them to form relationships with those people who share the same interests as them.

Twitter is another social media platform which allows its users to link to one another and share links and photos. LinkedIn is yet another great example as it combines LinkedIn pages with comments on posts and articles. In addition to these networks, most major websites like Facebook and MySpace allow their users to create profiles and connect with others. All of these social networks provide companies with a unique opportunity to increase engagement and to influence their users.

The second major benefit to using social media marketing for business is that it provides real-time interaction. Social media networks allow users to chat, shoot videos, answer questions, play games and more within the confines of their own network. Whereas some businesses may choose to ignore these networks, using them creates an opportunity to build long term relationships with customers and clients. Unlike sites such as Facebook or MySpace which provide static pages, users on these social media platforms are able to browse and interact with others. This creates a unique opportunity to develop brand loyalty and repeat business. With all these advantages in mind, it is clear that social media marketing is an effective and innovative way to market your business.