Where Social Media Will Take Us

Remember everything I spoke about in my previous post about the power of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to help develop modern businesses. It’s evident that Facebook creates opportunities for companies. Social media sites continue to increase sales for companies and widen their networks of connections.  The fact that Facebook hit 1 billion users means businesses have more potential users to appeal to. Customers appreciate how easily accessible information can be found online. The benefits of sharing information online are that it’s quick and easy. This generation wants everything at the tip of their fingers. Social networks are becoming a new kind of virtual currency for companies and corporations. You may ask yourself how much social media will evolve over the years? Companies are behind the eight ball when it comes to adapting to the newest technologies and change. Social media provides companies with power and allows them the opportunity to become market leaders and influencers.

Companies should know the following about social media:

1. They know what their consumers are interested in. They know what you’re interested in buying, selling, and seeing. With a simple "like" on Facebook or "follow" on Twitter companies know what their consumers are looking into.


2. Companies know before they know. They do their best to know things before their consumers know. Companies want to know what the customers thinking of. They are sites like Chango with information about what their prospects and consumers are looking at. This benefits the company because it will lure the potential consumer into their services or products.


3. It’s not who you are it’s what you know! The power of networking will benefit you in the long run because the contacts you gain may help you book an interview or meeting with a potential employer. To measure your online influence, visit Klout and login with your social media accounts. The site will generate a score that measures your influence among the media platforms you are active in. It also has a this cool feature, “pulse”, in which you can keep up to date with the world’s top influencers and see where they stand among the rest.

Here you can see how influential Justin Bieber is compared to our President on social media

These many changes continue to shape how companies and well known corporations such as CBS, NBC, and etc., conduct their business. We live in a social media driven world, embracing change is optional but then again so is survival.

Dislike: Facebook Likes Reveals A Lot

Now if this isn't creepy than I don’t know what it is. There was a study to show that Facebook could predict everything from your race to your sexual orientation, political affiliation to your personality type from a simply “like”.

Researchers had studied more than 58,000 people who volunteered in taking the “my personality” survey application on Facebook, in which subscribers allowed access to their list of likes. The purpose of the research was to see whether such information, which is publicly available on many Facebook pages, could predict a number of aspects about its users lives that can presumably predict their sexual orientation, ethnic origin, political views, religion, personality traits, substance use, and even intelligence level.

I find it intriguing that such information that was once personal to us is now in the public eye. Online behavior like Facebook “likes” can make the connection deeper than I thought.  The link in which the user “Likes” can relatively give information about relationship statuses, logic, and personal preferences. Some "Like" pages may be "Gay Love", "Pro Obama", "Single Ready to Mingle", and etc.
Some links are very personal and will automatically give fellow Facebook friends an impression of your personality.

Although the research is fascinating in how much Facebook can reveal but it also strikes a concern about privacy. But- in the meantime, I highly suggest that everyone is aware of how companies and entities with whom you share your “like” information may ultimately use this data. We must understand that our hidden meanings behind our desires and “likes” may end up teaching us about ourselves.