Initially used only to get in touch with old friends and share their thoughts, the social network has now become an integral part of our lives. It is a phenomenon that has penetrated so much into contemporary society that most of the works are essential to it. In this article from the How it has changed column we will see how social networks and professions have evolved, first of all that of the influencer. So, if you want to know more about the history and evolution of SixDegrees, MySpace, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter and the professional figures that came from it, read on!
- Social network: what it is and what it means
- The first social network: SixDegrees
- MySpace: the social network for artists and musicians
- Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's intuition
- Social network for photos and images: Instagram
- Linkedin, social network to look for and offer work
- Twitter, the social network with short tweets
- Social networks and "social" professions
- Other articles in our column
Social network: what it is and what it means
In sociology, the expression social networks identifies a group of individuals and organizations linked by social relationships. A network of people who share passions and interests and who build a community around them. Not surprisingly, the literal meaning of these two words in Italian is precisely social network.
However, the expression over time has also taken on another meaning, identifying the tool through which this network of individuals can come into contact and interact. Whether it's a website, an app or software, it doesn't matter. Technically, the tool that allows such interactions is called social media, but in recent times the two expressions have become roughly interchangeable.
Difference between social media and social networks
Often it happens to confuse the words social network and social media, so much so that they are used as synonyms. However, as we have seen above, the two terms actually refer to two different concepts.
La main difference between social networks and social media is that the latter is it tool, the physical app or software, such as Facebook and Twitter through which people, namely the social networks, create their own network of online communities.
Both words can be used to define the social phenomenon that we have all been experiencing for some years now. Most of us, in fact, have an account with at least two or more social media and many jobs depend on the ability to know how to use them in the best way.
Once upon a time there was the first social network: SixDegrees
Contrary to popular belief, the first social network was not MySpace and not even Facebook, but rather SixDegrees. Born in 1996 from the mind of Andrew Weinreich and launched the following year, it was named after the theory of the six degrees of separation. The theory states that each individual is connected to any other person through a chain of knowledge made up of up to five intermediaries.
Although SixDegrees was a revolutionary idea, it still had to deal with some factors. The web was still immature and not accessible to everyone and despite the million subscribers, the platform was not growing enough. Thus, in 2000, the social network closed its doors.
MySpace: the social network for artists and musicians
The first social network recognized worldwide is MySpace, born in 2003 and offers the possibility to create a your profile personal. It also allows you to connect to a social network made up of other personal profiles, blogs, music and bands. It had such a strong impact that in 2006 it was the most visited site in the United States, surpassing Google. MySpace has given the opportunity to many artists to make themselves known and, over time, become famous.
Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's intuition
We all know each other Mark Zuckerberg and we all know about the empire called Facebook that he managed to create. But few know that, before giving life to the most famous social media in the world, the young university student had created an idea of his own, called Facemash.
Facemash was born almost as a joke in 2003, with the aim of comparing the faces of all the students of the university in order to decide who is the most attractive. The social came closed almost immediately for violation of privacy and copyright, but with this move the young student had laid the foundation for a much larger project.
Project that he developed with the help of some of his university mates and that in 2004 gave birth to Facebook. The name comes from the use of some universities to keep a book with the name and photos of the students, in order to make them socialize more easily.
Facebook has been subject to several changes over the years, but the basic formula is a user profile that can connect, And then relate, to other profiles or pages. The function is important "I like", represented by the thumbs up and distinctive sign of the social network.
With a number of users which today exceeds 2 billion, it is the third most visited site in the world. In fact, Facebook was the great protagonist of the evolution of the internet.
Social network for photos and images: Instagram
Launched in 2010 for iOS systems and in 2012 for Android, Instagram is a social network that allows registered users to upload and share personalized photos and videos with their followers (in Italian "followers") thanks to filters.
It also gives the possibility to see the recent posts of the followers, to comment on the published images, to tag friends, to insert hashtag in the captions and comments, to upload the Instagram stories and to share content in real time on multiple social platforms at the same time.
The creators of this social network, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, they decide to work together focusing on the development of a project based on a common passion: the photography. In particular the polaroid, from which the logo of the social network derives. The name, on the other hand, derives from the words "instant" and "telegram", which combined gave rise to the name Instagram.
Their intention was to create a web space in which you can publish photos that resemble those of Polaroids in format and colors and in which you can modify the images through the use of preset filters.
The exponential growth of Instagram in terms of numbers and notoriety attracts large companies from Silicon Valley and beyond. To have won it is Facebook and in 2012 the agreement was concluded. The social of the photos was like that sold for $ 1 billion, completing one of the most economically important acquisitions made to date. Following this, the use of Instagram grows further and reaches 150 millions of monthly users at the end of 2013.
Linkedin, social network to look for and offer work
Designed for professionals who offer and seek work, Linkedin is today one of the social networks with professional profiles most used in the workplace. Through your profile it is possible to make public one's skills in order to propose oneself or to be traced more easily by companies looking for that candidate type.
Born in 2002, Linkedin was bought by Microsoft in 2016 for the huge sum of approx 26 billion dollars. This was the largest investment made by Bill Gates' company to date.
Twitter, the social network with short tweets
Another very important social network is Twitter, born in 2006 with a different goal than today. Its creator Jack Dorsey he had thought of it to make it work like communication platform for mobile devices.
Over time, however, its survival depended more and more on the computer adaptations of its programmers. To make it more competitive among the various communication systems, Twitter has become a real social network.
Its name comes from the definition of the English word Twitter which means "Chirp". The exchange of information on this social network takes place through the "tweet"(I chirped), gods very short messages (maximum 140 characters), like birds chirps, which are the main feature of the network.
Users invented the "retweet" (re-message), a way of reporting and repeating messages written by other users. To do this, you must press the letters “RT” in the text, followed by the name of the author. Later, retweeting became a feature supported by the social network, allowing more interaction between its users.
Subsequently the spread of Twitter was dizzying, going from 105 million users in April 2011 to 200 million at the end of the same year. Like Instagram, Twitter doesn't have "friends" to add to your contacts, but i follower.
Social networks and "social" professions: the new figures
Social media and social networks gave birth to job positions that didn't even exist twenty years ago. In fact, many of the companies have strongly believed in the potential of social media. Especially in the sector of marketing, in recent years, it has been much easier to reach customers through social platforms than traditional advertising methods. Let's see together the impact of social networks and social professions in the working world.
The social media manager and social network marketing
Among the works dedicated to social networks we have the social media manager which generally deals with the social network marketing. The latter is one strategy which involves the use of various techniques of advertising and branding which are based on social networks and online communities. Through them, companies and brands aim to promote their products or services, reach new customers or better involve current customers and, finally, build and spread their image and values.
Influencing marketing
Another job that uses social media is influencer marketing, better known only as influencer. It is a marketing strategy that is based on one or more people who are chosen by the various companies to disseminate a company message through their social profiles.
Who are the most famous influencers in Italy? The first example is the Fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni: with his 22 million followers and with the average of 25 thousand like for each post, is certainly on the podium of the Social Influencer ranking. Thanks to this position, she managed to transform her fashion blog The blonde Salad into a real empire.
Other Italian influencers who, over the years, have climbed the charts for their popularity on social networks are: Clio Zammatteo, collaborator for some of the most famous make-up brands, the IT communicator Salvatore Aranzulla and the model Mariano Di Vaio, considered among the most beautiful men in the world.
Other articles in our column
Our little analysis on social networks and social professions is over. But if you want to know the stories and evolutions of other phenomena, objects or practices, you are in the right place.
From the Neapolitan coffee maker to devices for music reproduction through headphones, skincare and letters. This and much more awaits you on How it changed. Access the section immediately and take a look at all the topics covered: you will not regret it.
Visit: How It Has Changed - Tech Princess
Tagsinfluencer social media social network How it has changed: social networks and the professional figures that derive from them
