Social media as the name suggests is all about socialising. The origins of any social media platform is about networking for social reasons only. But somewhere down the line each one of them got into paid advertisement. There can be two reasons for that, one is for increasing views and likes which is what the influencers want. The other reason is purely for business or brand purpose.
History of social media
It all began in 2004. In that year, Google launched Orkut and Zuckerberg gradually rolled out FaceBook to multiple universities. While Facebook kept on getting better and better, Google had to launch and relaunch one social networking platform after another till it reached Google Plus which was finally shut down in 2019.
While all this was evolving, based on popular demand, Facebook introduced the feature of “Pages” for brands and commercial organisation. Before that Facebook accounts were only allowed for individuals. Facebook began introducing pages between 2007 to 2009 and it got massive public response.
Today all social media platform have a commercial angle one way or the other.
Personal or Business
We all begin with a personal account and then we make the conversion to a brand or commercial account at a later stage. In case of brands of businesses, they are clear cut brand accounts right from the beginning. But it is for entrepreneurs who are facing the greatest problem. Do they begin with a personal account and when do they switch to a business one at a later stage.
Instagram gives us the ability to switch between a personal account to a business or creator one. Likewise each social media platform have their own settings. But not all of them give you this flexibility. For example YouTube allows you to register a channel name but then after the channel is deleted, the name is not freed. It is permanently locked in the system.
So choose your platform with care because mostly it is one time and one off. Otherwise you will have to put in the effort all over again.
A business platform
There is no doubt about the fact that each brand needs to be on one or more social media platforms. With the count of social media networks reaching almost 100 and the top social media sites reaching 20 plus, it is a maze out there.
So the first step in the process is choosing the right platform to begin with. Now this will not be the platform which gets you maximum clients, but the one which gives you most confidence.
The next step would be to begin using it as a business platform. Now whether you will post personal stuff or professional, that is a choice you will have to make. However, you need to choose in the beginning and then follow the path for some time.
Time and patience to invest
Finally the last point to remember is that you need to invest in a platform. There can be no shortcuts. The hardest part is going to be when you will get little or no response from followers. Many people give up at that point of time. It is here that 90% of all new brands, new ventures, new accounts become discontinued and dormant. So when you start with your venture, make sure you do it for the long haul.
I am an MBA graduate with dual qualification in Finance and HR. I have done a Google Certified course in Digital Marketing. With many such qualifications under my belt, I am now focused on women entrepreneurship. With brands like SukaOne and Narisakti, I help women to make their idea to reality and navigate their way through the maze of digital work.