A Brief History of Social Media Networks

Social Media has become an integral part of modern society. Members on certain sites number far more than populations of most nations in the world. Before the pillars of the social media market of today existed (Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin) there were many social and business sharing platforms that paved the way for their efficiency. In 1979 Usenet systems allowed online communications between newsgroups, Bulletin Board systems (BBS) came shortly after, along with forums. Originally these systems had to be dialed into by one user at a time. After BBS, came "online services" such as CompuServe and Prodigy, these were the first corporate strategies online.

In 1985, a subsidiary of General Electric actually developed the next set of systems called Genie which ran through 1999. Blogs then started developing as people started spending more leisure time online and less time strictly looking for information. As sites became less boring and rudimentary, people started really getting involved socially online through dating sites and websites, like Six Degrees, which was launched in 1997 as the first modern social network. However, Friendster was the first really modern style social network and it was launched in 2002 allowing users to do the things they do today on Facebook like post pictures and comments and find other friends within the network. Facebook, originally Facemash was concocted on October 28, 2003, Twitter was launched publicly in July of 2006, and LinkedIn on May 5, 2003.

The Rise of The Modern Social Media Network

Fast forward to 2010, the Biggest "do" regarding social media for business is to get involved. Never underestimate the power of these sites for businesses. One can establish their business among a wide variety of prospective clients through social media networks. Creating a business presence on these sites also helps to shape the integrity of the business while expanding its customer base.

How to Avoid a Social Media Business Disaster

The biggest "don’t" for social media in business is getting involved before one knows what they are doing. All of the newer ways to advertise online can be so exciting for a new or developing business once they are introduced to the idea that some people dive right into setting up their profile before they understand how exactly the sites work. Before devoting time into these sites, one should familiarize themselves first with the good and bad aspects of getting involved so that detrimental mistakes can be avoided. A business can run a very smooth social media campaign fairly easily when the proper precautions are taken initially. Remember, there is no social media insurance.

Social Media Pointers

The biggest "do" for social media for personal use is to have fun. Before diving in, and experiencing all the leisure and exploration that the sites provide, please take the time to do a few things that may help to avoid a bad situation later on. Here are a few things that everyone should be practicing online to protect themselves from fraud and other criminal concerns: change passwords frequently, adjust privacy settings appropriately, be selective when adding friends, be careful when clicking on things that are unfamiliar, get familiarized with privacy and security settings, learn how to report a potentially compromised account, pay attention to what is appropriate for business and personal life, and more importantly where the line is drawn for adding friends that are family or coworkers to a personal profile.

The Future of Social Media Networks For Marketing Businesses

According to Nielson Reports, as of June 2010, Americans are spending 22.7% of the time they spend online engaged in social media networks. Money that companies spend advertising within Social Media is forecasted to hit about $1.7 billion this year, and $2 billion in 2011. Social media shows no signs of slowing its involvement in both the business and personal lives of people young and old around the world. Placing ads within Social Media sites is extremely effective. Facebook, for example, allows companies to place ads based on users demographics (i.e. Users age, martial status, likes, etc). This is very powerful as a business owner can ensure that their ad is being placed in front of their target market. Say for example, a business sells wedding cakes, they can place an add in their region to appear in front of women in their mid to late 20s that have a status of engaged. This is very effective because these engaged young women are the perfect audience to be marketing wedding cake services. If you are a business owner, it is recommended that you consider a social media strategy if you want to remain competitive in our ever changing world of communication.