Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time on platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Or what makes these applications so addictive for many people?
It boils down to the features of those social media platforms. That suggests that social media apps were purposefully created to be this way to appeal to consumers.
I’m going to discuss all I know about the characteristics of social media platforms in this blog article, including why each one of these elements is important.
Let’s get to it.
1. A User-Generated Content
You’ve contributed to the realm of user-generated content on social media if you’ve tried to submit a photo to Instagram, tweet an encouraging message on Twitter, or upload dancing routines to Tiktok.
The most important characteristic of social media platforms is user-generated content. It was really built for this kind of approach and many people haven’t realized it yet.
For example, social media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube are produced by everyday people like you and me. Facebook, now called Meta, doesn’t the only one that posts content on its platform. They allow their users to express or share something.
This is the difference between traditional media such as television or newspaper to social media platforms.
Consider this: whether you watch TV or read a newspaper, you are consuming material provided by experts. Unlike social media, anybody, regardless of experience or ability, may generate their own content.
This is very helpful for us users because it gives us additional opportunities to communicate our thoughts and ideas to the whole world. We may even do it in many forms such as images, videos, or memes.
If there’s someone who has the same hobby or interest as us, we can easily communicate with them. The best part about this is we can do it for free as long we have a smartphone and an internet connection.
2. Allows Interaction and Engagement with Users
I’ve noticed that many social media users nowadays seem to be stuck in a loop. They continue to comment, reply, or tweet from their friends and followers.
Social media is vital for interaction and engagement. Via likes, comments, direct messages, and other forms of engagement, these platforms aim to promote user contact and discourse.
That’s why we can easily distinguish a social media platform from traditional media. There’s really a two-way discussion rather than a one-way broadcast.
On social media, we all like communicating and participating in conversations with others. For instance, we usually like checking the comments after posting a photo on Instagram to see what other people have to say.
It’s very cool when we see how people interpret our content and hear their thoughts about it. And when we reply to someone’s comment or DM, we feel like we’re building a connection with that person – even if we’ve never met in real life.
3. Provides Real-time Communication
In our time today, we always need to contact someone whether they lived far away or just nearby. Every time we message someone using social media, we expect that the message will be sent instantly without waiting for days or weeks for a response.
One of the characteristics of social media that all people love is it provides us with real-time communication. It means that it enables many users to send and receive messages quickly.
Our friends and family may now be reached through several messaging apps. Even video chats with them using Skype or Zoom are possible.
Many businesses and organizations also benefit from real-time communication because they utilize social media to reply quickly to their customer’s inquiries or issues. They can easily provide real-time help which helps improve their business.
For instance, when I tried to contact a firm via social media about an issue with a product I bought, they answered right away. They assisted me and reassured me that there weren’t any major issues and that all I had to do was modify the settings tab.
4. It Has a Global Reach
Would you like to utilize social media to travel the globe? Naturally not literally. Yet, let me tell you that social media has the power to instantly transport us to distant parts of the globe. It could also make it easier for us to interact with people from diverse cultures.
Social media’s worldwide reach is one of its coolest features. It makes it possible for us to communicate with individuals from all around the world. You may discuss your opinions, ideas, and experiences with them.
You’re curious as to why Japanese folks wear kimonos? By conversing with a Japanese person, you may learn about their culture.
There are instances when we upload images on social media and we placed some hashtags on them, then suddenly we receive comments from people all around the globe who are also interested in your post.
This is a fantastic learning opportunity since a straightforward hashtag may link people with like interests on a global scale.
Several individuals from many locations and cultures can get together and exchange ideas over a single photograph. This simply serves to demonstrate how effective social media is at removing obstacles.
5. It Makes Content Go Viral and Reach a Massive Audience
The next characteristic of social media that we have is it makes content go viral and reach a massive audience. Have you seen a social media post or video that went viral by having many likes and shares? Maybe it was a video of a cat walking through a bunch of dogs without getting scared.
This ability for content to go viral is what makes social media so powerful. It has the capacity to spread a simple picture or video to millions of people.
You must make sure that other people will find your material fascinating or enjoyable if you want to develop something that will go viral. It can only go viral if people would resonate with it.
So why does social media makes content go viral? It’s because social media is intended to encourage sharing and participation among its users.
That indicates that there is a possibility that your friends and followers may see a post if you actively like, comment, or share it. After they enjoy the content you like or share, they may do the same for their friends, and so on.
6. It Has a Community-driven Nature
The next characteristic on our list is the reason why social media is very popular. This characteristic relates to the idea that social media platforms are based on the idea of establishing and maintaining online communities.
For instance, there are several online groups on Facebook devoted to various themes and organizations like parenting, sports, or travel.
The cool thing about these groups is it provides a platform for users to share their experiences or ask questions. They can also engage with similar interests if possible. These communities can be formed through hashtags or just some trending topics and suddenly someone created a community for it.
I’ve been part of many Facebook groups and I can truly say that it is an excellent place to look for information and support. Many experts out there can help you solve your problems.
The community-driven nature of social media is not limited to just interested-based groups. It can also facilitate the establishment of online communities based on common interests or experiences.
7. It Collects and Analyzes User Data
There are times when we go through our social media feeds and we wonder why these advertisements suddenly appear on our screens. This is because social media sites gather and analyze our data before presenting the adverts we are most likely to be interested in.
Most users are unaware that a digital record of their preferences and habits is always left behind when they use social media. Social media makes use of this data to better understand its users and give them a more individualized experience.
Facebook will, for instance, gather and examine your data depending on the materials you enjoy, share, or watch. Then, advertising that is pertinent to your interests will be displayed.
But it’s not only about catering to your requirements in terms of what advertising appears on your screen.
User data is also used by social media firms to better their goods and services. They utilize user behavior to find trends and make educated decisions about how to improve their platforms.
Based on my personal experience, I always noticed that if I search for specific information or entertainment, I may start to see some ads related to that topic.
For example, I love to react to topics about business or wealth. Once I spend some on it, I can see ads selling some e-books on how to start a business or earn some seven figures.
8. Provide Users with Personalized Experiences
Since it can accommodate individual preferences and interests, social media is a really distinct digital universe. After collecting and analyzing your data, the platform will create personalized information for you that will display in your feed. This is the consequence of a unique encounter.
Do you even notice that once you open your Instagram app and you will be greeted with a feed that is tailored to your preference? Every platform uses an algorithm then it analyzes your past behavior.
It also analyzed what accounts you follow, like, and spend most of the time. So if you love to watch some steak reels or how to cook wagyu, the platform will suggest those kinds of content for you.
In addition to content that you see due to the platform’s algorithms, personalized experience on different social media platforms can also be seen in how you communicate with each other.
Data is used by platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to recommend friends and connections that we may know, making it simpler to create and maintain relationships online.
9. It is Constantly Evolving
Because one of the hallmarks of social media platforms is change, the famous saying “Change is Constant” is equally applicable.
It is always developing since businesses are always seeking new methods to improve the user experience. They want users to be more involved with the site so that millions of people spend more time browsing through their feeds.
It was so different when I first started using social media. I wasn’t interested in other people’s stuff; I was more interested in gaming because Facebook at the time offered many excellent games.
Facebook evolved, adding new features and capabilities. There were also a lot of social media platforms that were developed and Facebook already had some competition.
This is an important characteristic of a social media platform because it is such a competitive industry. If they don’t improve their user experience, individuals might stop using their platform.
Every platform is trying to outperform others by introducing some new and innovative features. I remember Instagram’s introduction of stories was a major game changer for the site and it really gain popularity.
Final Thoughts
That’s it! we now understood the characteristics of social media and why they were designed this manner.
It is great for us to know the characteristics of social media because in this digital age, these platforms have become so powerful.
It has become an instrument for connection, inspiration, and empowerment. I also feel that understanding its characteristics will help us become responsible users.
