Social Networking Sites

The A to Z Of Social Networking

Socializing, interacting and sharing is part and parcel of being human. On a social network, people engage in these activities only, it's just that the platform is different. It is a virtual meeting room of sorts, where your profile is your identification card, that people see to know who you are, whether they know you or would want to know you. It is a new, fast, efficient and super cool way of connecting with people and making friends.

The Social Story-How It All Began

The mid 1990s saw the sprouting of online communities such as Theglobe.com. However, people wanted better ways of managing friends and connecting, that is when the new generation of social networking sites was developed. The first one was SixDegrees.com in 1997 but the big splash was made by Friendster and MySpace in the early 2000s. Innovations continued on making the social network more interactive Facebook and Twitter entered the scene, the latest addition to the social networks list being Google+, that came out in 2011.

So, Who All Are Social?

Social networking sites have become a favorite of people from all over the world. What was earlier known as an indulgence of teenagers and young people, is now the favorite past time of the older generation too. In the top 100 social networking sites with millions of users the percent of older users in the 40 plus age group is increasing steadily. In this new era, people come together to share their lives, interests and special memories with friends and family on a social network. It is beyond just instant messaging or telling the world what you think. It is about interacting and sharing and taking joy in discussions with like minded people.

How Do These Platforms Work?

Whether it is the most popular network Facebook or one of the newest social networking sites, they are all aimed at helping people interact and connect with each other. The basic set up being a profile, and various search tools to find people. Users can post interesting messages, pictures or share videos and blogs about things/people or places that they are passionate about or want to talk about. There is a list of things people can do- form groups, hold discussions and stream live videos among other fun activities on a social network. Privacy issues have always plagued social networks, leading to the introduction of better privacy and sharing controls being given to people in the year 2011.

Social Networking As A Tool For Brand Promotion

Yes, the businesses have got on board too. Social networks are no more just the place where people interact with people- they interact with brands too! With the sheer number of people on a social network, brands see them as the perfect platform to spread their word. Businesses are getting referral traffic in hordes from Facebook pages and Twitter profiles. Interacting with the brand's followers is the mode of promotion here. The most used social networking sites have special business profile features to aid businesses to connect with their prospective customers more effectively.

Who All Are In The Social Race?

From among the top 100 social networking sites the market leader is Facebook, followed by Twitter. Other prominent names include Digg, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, hi5, Orkut, Netlog and the newest Google+.

Social Networking is engaging, interesting and highly addictive. Sign up at a network to know what we mean!