Mark Zuckerberg may not have been the first on the social media scene, but he really did make it popular. Online forums and chat rooms had been around for years, along with sites where people could look at profiles and connect with one another, but they were always sort of a niche thing. Some people loved them, but the majority never used them at all. That has completely changed now, as most people in the United States are at least somewhat active on social media, with many people investing hours of their time in it each day.
As with anything else, companies have flocked to these sites to try to get customers and connect with people. They often use sites like this to tell people about new products that are coming out before they launch. They use them to post discounts and deals that will get people's attention. They will even use them to answer questions that people have or to address concerns. This is not just something that companies do, though, as it has also spread to colleges, universities, non-profit organizations, churches and many other groups.
While this revolution was taking place, it became very apparent that there was a need for a new type of employee, one who could work in social media and who understood it. Older employees generally did not; they may have known how to use the sites, but they did not know the intricacies of them that could maximize a company's exposure. Younger employees were needed for that type of work, and companies began looking for employees who had been trained and educated in all aspects of branding and marketing, along with the use of social media sites and SEO.
Since this is such an exploding field, it has now reached out to impact schools, as well. For example, you could look into UF's digital media degree or many similar degrees across the country. These give students the tools that they need to be incredibly successful when leveraging social media to their advantage. They can learn how to connect with people and how to grow their brand. They may even learn little tips and tricks, such as when to post pictures to get the most views or when the most users tend to be online at once. This is a degree that simply did not exist ten years ago, but the demand is now very high.
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