Social media is the term for a group of websites and apps that allow people to share, discuss and interact with other users. The sites can be used to connect with friends, promote products and services, or to develop new business.
In addition, the social media environment has grown increasingly mobile, enabling users to engage with information and each other through their smartphones. Moreover, the advent of powerful in-phone cameras has shifted the focus of mobile apps to visuals and video.
Initially, social media was conceived as an opportunity to connect with other people. However, as technology advanced and the mobile phone became a ubiquitous device, businesses found themselves able to take advantage of the mobility of consumers.
Early forms of digital communication included Blogger and LiveJournal. More recently, social networking sites have been developed, such as Facebook and Twitter. These platforms enable users to exchange messages, build online communities, and receive real-time information through news feeds.
There are many social media platforms, but Facebook is the world’s largest. It has over 1.55 billion active monthly users. Users can create a profile page and add friends, who can “like” their pages. This gives them a personalized feed of posts and recommendations.
LinkedIn was founded as a career-minded networking site. LinkedIn has also tried to monetize its services through sponsored advertising.
Another popular app is Pinterest. Pinterest was launched by iPhone app developer Ben Silbermann in 2010. It focuses on visuals, and requires users to include brief descriptions of images.
