Social media is more than just a hobby these days – it’s a lifestyle. People around the world are so involved in social media that words like “tweet” and “selfie” are being added to the English dictionary. Everyone can say they have at least one social media account, whether they actively participate in it or not. And thanks to social media, it has been easier than ever to keep connected with almost everyone you know.
There are a couple favorite social media sites you should know about, and Her Campus is here to give you the insight on them.
Twitter first made its debut in 2006 and was slow to get the attention of the majority. But today, Twitter is the mainstream social media. Twitter is a place where you can not only connect with people, but to businesses, news organizations, universities, and basically just about anyone. Twitter allows each user 140 characters to get their point across in a Tweet. Micro blogging at its finest. Twitter is the fastest way to know what is going on in the world when it is actually happening, which is installed in the Twitter platform. Today, there are 313 million (and growing) active monthly users on Twitter.
Instagram is effective when it comes to promoting one’s personal branding. Instagram is basically a visual blog, through pictures. Out of the 500 million active users, people find creative ways to post their pictures or videos and editing them through a series of filters. The visual appeal of Instagram is one of the reasons for why it is growing in popularity. I mean, we would all rather look at a picture than read something, right?
LinkedIn has been around longer than we think! LinkedIn was created in 2003 and 13 years later, it is still a growing social media platform for the young professional. With 300+ million users, LinkedIn is a way for people to connect with different businesses. It is a great outlet to use to find job openings and connect with business professionals, otherwise known as networking. LinkedIn allows the user to create a professional profile, including a resume. LinkedIn is a great way to get a job!
Facebook is by far the most popular social media site, with a growing number of 1.5 billion users. Facebook has more users than the population of any country in the world. Pretty impressive. If you don’t have a Facebook, you must be living under a rock! There is no question about it: Facebook is the number one connectivity social media site between users. Your Facebook profile is basically the face of your existence.
One way all social media sites are connected is through the use of hashtags. Using a hashtag connects different posts to one central location, which can be searched. It is always encouraged to have an active social media presence and be sure to find your niche on social media!