Remember MySpace? Having to choose your top 8 friends, spending hours mulling over which song would play when someone visited your page (it had to describe you perfectly!), and trying desperately to figure out HTML so your profile would look cooler than everybody else’s?
Was this everybody’s MySpace experience or am I the only one? I feel like I’m not alone here.
Not too long ago, MySpace was the King of social media, but its crown was stolen and I think we all know who the thief was…
Oh, Facebook comes to mind <grin>.
The website, launched in 2004, was cleaner, faster, less filled with ads and packed with more features than MySpace. Around 2008, MySpace’s kingdom began to crumble because of it.
So, could Facebook have the same fate coming to it? Is karma waiting to strike? Anything is possible of course, but I am thinking it's unlikely, and here is why…
Facebook is an extremely powerful social media platform. As of late 2012, it had over one billion active users and it continues to grow daily. Let’s be real, how many people do you know that have a Facebook account? Wait, let me ask an easier question – how many people do you know that don’t have a Facebook account?
If you wanted to start using a new social media platform and leave Facebook in the dust, this would also mean having to leave all of your friends in the dust. Facebook is where the people are – and that’s what social media is all about. MySpace may have come before Facebook, but Facebook has transformed social media and helped it to become what it is today.
Facebook is also a dream come true for businesses.
While personal accounts have a limit of 5,000 friends, there’s no limit to the amount of fans a Facebook fan page can have. These pages allow a company to brand themselves, have a two-way conversation with fans, share content, deals, promotions, coupons, contests, pictures, videos and more – all for free!
And because Google indexes fan pages, having a Facebook for a business is great for SEO. While anyone can look at a fan page without “liking” it and becoming a fan, businesses have the option of using a third-party app that gives exclusive content only to fans of the page – making it more likely for a visitor to “like” the page.
Because of all of these free benefits, it’s highly unlikely that businesses would stop using the social media platform.
As I type this, Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and CEO of Facebook, is announcing a way to turn your Android phone into one based on people instead of apps. Facebook’s “Home” is a launcher that brings everything that is happening with your Facebook friends to the home screen of your mobile device.
Facebook is also cultural. We connect and get our news about friends and family on Facebook. How many times have you said or heard someone say, “Let's post it on Facebook,” or “I saw that on Facebook”? Facebook has invaded our very way of life!
All of this being said, there is no guarantee that Facebook will forever be the King of social media. We have seen predecessors fall from grace (RIP MySpace). Nonetheless, I’m pretty positive that the current King of social media will still be reigning for quite some time.
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My observation is that I will believe that Google Plus (or twitter or you pick the next one) is about to supplant FB when I see the smart guys teaching their parents, grandparents, and assorted family members how to use the next platform. As for me and my family, we are staying on FB because I can’t stand the cost of training!
LOL Harold 🙂
LOL Harold!
Google+ is going to be a MUST! Next time I host a Google+ webinar, make sure you grab a seat. I will convince you!
The move is definitely towards mobile. I think Google+ is actually the fastest growing social media platform but that number could be argued as not truly a real representation of those who use Google+ because you get a Goolge+ account when you sign up for a Gmail account.
I think Google+ is going to be a must for anyone who is interesting in getting their content out there. It is GOOGE after all 🙂
Facebook can be a pain sometimes but I think they are trying to manage fake accounts and some are getting caught up in that. Honored to have the connection! Thanks for staying tuned in on Twitter :-)!
I think there are over 1 billion people on Facebook and we can’t ignore it. Too much potential 🙂
I believe it’s just a matter of time. Just like while using myspace, it was believed to be the best one – facebook came and outpaced myspace. Today, we don’t know what the next big thing is going to offer, hence Facebook is believed to be there for long. I have stopped using Facebook as it does not offer what I need. I like Linkedin more. Looking forward to the next big thing!
All social platforms have value if you have the time to spend on them. Linkedin is a GREAT platform and glad to hear that you are using it…it’s one of the most underused platforms by most.