Beyond a Trend: How Social Media Continues to Evolve

For years, we’ve been making predictions and counting down the days to the end of Facebook’s reign over social media. Yet in all the time we’ve waited, there hasn’t been a definitive successor to the throne, despite attempts by companies like Google.

Though it seems unimaginable to live without it, the Internet itself is a relatively new concept. The World Wide Web was created just over three decades ago, and popular blogs and social media sites didn’t become widespread until the early 2000s.

Since then, the Internet has become more and more accessible and is in a constant state of change. As the Internet evolves, so do social media sites. Social media platforms are bigger and continuing to innovate from within. Not only are individuals more involved with social media, but companies have been extending their markets virtually. The investment of the individual and the corporate world are matched by the investment of social media sites. More and more people are getting involved behind the scenes to make sure their sites succeed.

Despite the constant complaints that occur every time Facebook changes, it has managed to insert itself into everyday life in a way that is thus far unmatched, and its constant changes help to keep it relevant.

That’s not to say constant innovation will save Facebook from Google+—especially with Google+’s forced-use policy. Facebook is no longer growing as rapidly as it has in the past, but it is holding steady and appears to be in no danger of obscurity. Other platforms that failed to adapt, or adapted in the wrong direction (MySpace, for example, is now a wasteland of bands and spam), failed to grow equally.

This, of course, is not to say that Facebook has a stranglehold or monopoly on social media. While there isn’t a clear shift from one social media platform to another, more platforms are just as relevant. Users no longer have their one favorite main site. They link to everything in their profile, from LinkedIn to Facebook and Google+ to Twitter and then some.

The key to staying afloat in today’s fast moving, social media driven world is to stay adaptable and to move just as quickly as everyone else.

Taylor Senseney Crouch – Writer & Social Media Marketer