Robert Fogarty

1. Social media platforms and how they fit together.

The clue is in the word. Social media is a form of media. Alongside other forms of media, for example, television or print. Both of course are traditional forms of media. Social media, on the other hand, is a modern and digital form of media. By looking at traditional media. We can learn about how social media has succeeded in understanding demographics.

Traditional media companies serve all kinds of different demographics in society. Many traditional media businesses have survived the test of time growing a readership and audience. Increasing the engagements with readers. Whereby affiliation to demographics such as age, interest, or even social values. Become priorities and the main charcaristic of various traditional media outlets.

Within society, there has always had a need for some kind of form of media. From the huge demand for newspapers in recent years. To now having a huge demand in social media – this has always been the case within society.

The relationship between the customer and traditional media is a straightforward one. The media company can identify the interests or values of a certain demographic. Create a newspaper, magazine, or television program for the identified demographic. Establish and grow audience. Then create revenues streams from the audience. The model has never been more true with subscription platforms.

Media companies understanding the interests and values of a demographic know this is a recipe for success. This is because now media companies now have an audience ready to take forward and grow. By already having identified demographics within society.

This is also true in the social media ecosystem. The major social media players have positioned their platforms for different potential social media users. Social media platform have grown through a mixture of different propositions that now fit together as the social media ecosystem. Each platform has own unique functionality that sits away from the competitor’s proposition to social media users. in terms of functionally in the apps this evolved over time to become very distinct social media apps.

Social media success is not down to the specific functionality of the apps. Moreover, social media is successful because of its specific purpose as a communication tool. A digital communication tool that represents the interest and values of demographics in society.

For example, this found inside of the social media ecosystem. Facebook is a natural platform for areas of demographics because of its relaxed and novelty nature of communication. Facilitated by its functionality and its user interface (UI). Instagram fits other demographic areas that are more targeted at affection and visual presentation. Instagram functionality and UI directs towards visual amazement and entertainment. Informational platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Fit naturally to demographics who want informing on a more formal basis. The functionality and UI is geared towards this on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media has always had a place in society from traditional media to now with social media. The demand for media has survived because media companies understand the need to fit into the interest and values held within the pockets of society. The affiliation works well because of a reciprocal footing. The demographics of society want varied forms of media. Otherwise, life would be boring.

Traditional media has not seen such a big shakeup since social media had rocked up into people lives. But longstanding traditional media outlets have used social media to their advantage. Shifting the legacy brand on to social media and going from there. Publishing articles and engaging with audiences in a similar way. Traditional media such as newspapers have grown into social media well. Gaining high follower numbers and have grown into the social media ecosystem itself.

Looking at both traditional media and social media. A key take away is that demographics contribute to the success of all kinds of media. Communicate content of specific content gets attention and appeals to the audience. Once this connection of values of interest has taken hold. Subscription models and advertising takes over in the digital ecosystem. Not too dissimilar to the financial model to the traditional media structure. From front pages to clicks.

2. Outlining the fundamental uses of social media

Four reasons that outline daily social media use:

Posting and consuming: content.

Fluid communication: messaging.

Information and opinion sharing: engagement.

Endorsement: attitudes to social media.

Satisfaction and social media are not normally used in the same sentence.

Social media is often reported as a concern. For many valid reasons such as a negative effect on mental health, productivity and safeguarding. Social media apps can be perceived as controversial. Although, social media use is considerable across most populations of the world.

So there must be benefits to social media, right? Intrinsic reasons why so many people use social media are often overlooked. The business models of social media companies have very rapidly grown. Whereby social media has moulded and shaped a big part of our lives in the modern world.

Setting an outline of the fundamental reason behind social media use is important because of perspective. Why perspective is important is that social media users can experience negative impacts. A perspective can help overcome negative impacts. For example, unconscious frequent overuse and overthink around social media.

To outline a perspective toward social media. Attributions to social media outline the reasons and motivations for the everyday user.

Four areas to establish a perspective and the satisfaction of social media use.

Posting and consuming – content.

Content is the central component of social media. Spanning from user-generated content to produced content. As well as owned, earnt, and paid content.

The main plus about content is it designed to be attention-grabbing. Content done well has a wow factor. Capable of engaging social media users as they skip through content on their timeline. Content that inspires and informs social media users within ethical boundaries. Provides satisfaction and a valid reason to use social media.

Fluid communication – messaging.

Private messaging communication inside social media app is a critical part of social media platforms. Social media users can discuss or organise with each other. How the accessibility and convenience of social media have circulated within the population. Communicating with a social media app has made life much easier.

Information and opinion – engagement.

Information on social media is everywhere and social media users will gather bundles of information. The multi-sources of information on social media crosses over different places. This includes business information, news, social updates, and personal information. The ability to gather news and information is a positive point about social media.

Expressing opinions in digital content allows for engagement between user’s groups. Another outlet to voice opinion about products, reviews or in a social context. Opinions are the protagonists of social media and are a benefit to the platform.

Endorsement – attitude to social media

Question – to what level of social media users partake in social media? So, for instance, social media users at one end of the scale have created a skeleton profile and left the profile empty and hardly use it. To the other end to people who use it every day.

The amount of participation dictates a level of positive outlook toward social media. People without any social media footprint will have a more negative attitude to social media. The sense of perspective that social media is not used by everyone at the same amount. Says that social media is not as prevalent as people might think. This also should say social media does not influence reality as avid users might think.

It is rarely articulated why people use people social media. Stripping back the negative effects and allure of social media and remembering why it’s good for to us understand why it’s important in our lives.

3.Social media and the economy

What is the concept?

As the digital economy grows exponentially. The place of social media platforms is more an integral part of the digital economy. Social media apps are one of the digital products of a generation. User-to-product affiliation is social media apps propagating an impact on the economy.

Apps are ready and waiting to be used in our everyday lives. How well the apps can embed into every life, the more successful they are. This already happens in the far east in places like china.

What are the benefits of mass social media app use?

Ask for a topical reference and most people’s opinion about social media apps benefiting the economy are more likey to be short and plain. The opinions will fall under some of the negative phenomena reported in the media. The references would include the reports of selling social media users attention to advertising companies or harvesting data in unscrupulous or scrupulous ways.

But let’s take a look at how from the perspective of the user and how social media users benefit from using the apps and this makes life easier. Smartphone accessibility within the general public is an important reason why the social media app has changed society.

How does using apps makes life easier and more productive? The practical reason why social media users take to apps so well is the in messaging, groups and communities and business pages. The overriding factor in social media apps is the quickness in communicating and operating the apps in seconds as well as the efficiency.

The decrease in the use of landlines and sending letters is now replaced with new technology such as email and smartphones. Expansions in communications are so effectual, they add incredible pace to the economy and social media apps are part of the expansion due to their functionally.

The quicker the communication between people the more information can be passed in reduced time. Moreover, matters can move forward quicker and result in more objectives completed. Even in a social setting social media impacts the economy, particularly at a local level. As barriers are lowered through social media apps functionality. The quicker the fanning effect of efficiency has on people’s lives.