While social media is theoretically a technology for sharing information and facilitating conversations between people in an easy and social manner – social media evolved to an engagement model that introduced significant change to our society both in business and non business relationships.
Social media is in part responsible for the democratization of influence, bringing down previously dominating industrial media based news distribution and corporate marketing information dissemination. Through the omnipresent Internet and the ability to create unlimited personal connections around the glob, the number of trusted sources of information is growing, less structured and more individual than ever before. The model of influence significantly changed through the use of social media, which in turn changed the way 'educated purchase decisions' are made, which created the attention of business executives.
Businesses and governments leverage social media primarily to strengthen customer or political relationships, create a better customer experience or a better political climate and benefit from the fast way of getting feedback on all aspects of their respective businesses.
Individuals use social media to share parts of their lives with friends and family as well as random connections by publishing thoughts, opinions, experience, photos, images, video clips and in many other ways. Some use social media to find new jobs or strengthen or present their skills.
