Social Media: 20 Years, 3 Takeaways

Social media has been around for over 20 years. Despite the myriad of social sites, history proves that more is not always better. In fact, less than a handful have hit the one billion user mark.

While many sites have come and gone, I selected the most prominent ones to feature in this post. Based on the timeline below, here are my top three takeaways as you consider the best social media sites for your business.

Avoid the knock-offs. Since 2013, three social media sites have died shortly after their founding.  Two of three of those sites were video-focused. The other – Google+  –  tried to emulate Facebook. That leads me to believe that imitation sites are unlikely to make a sustainable splash.

Credit the mainstays. I’ve advocated the ‘big three’ – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – the past decade of my career. While their user base may fluctuate, they’ve been the mainstays. Most people have one of those sites, if not all three. Jumping to trendy sites may not be the best use of your time.

Watch for world domination. Two of the three sites to hit a billion users are owned by the same company – Facebook. As a businesswoman, I acknowledge Facebook for their savvy acquisition of Instagram. As a consumer, I fear the world will be run by Zuck. If anyone has ever dealt with Comcast, you know that monopoly is never a good thing.

Check out the infographic below and tell me your take on the history of social media the past two decades.

Photo icons: Julien Eichinger - stock.adobe.com; Design: Dan Mullenger