Are you ready for Meta this year?
If you follow tech news, you’ll know that Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently shared with the world that all of his properties were going to merge into a shared entity called Meta. This includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, plus the potential of the Oculus virtual reality system joining the party later.
He envisions a seamless experience for active users to jump and share between the platforms with easier data and account sharing on the backside. This merger is comparable but not entirely similar to Alphabet, which owns the Google browser, Gmail, YouTube, Google-Drive, and now-defunct Google Plus social network.
Some critics see this move as a power play to make it harder to break apart Zuckerberg’s entities—circumventing the wishes of congressional committees seeking to avoid a Zuckerberg monopoly. Meta is top news in social media trends as it offers more than the standard social network, but it’s not the only player in the game.
Below are some staunch competitors and emerging players in social media to watch in 2022.
YouTube
The video service made efforts to better police itself last year, shielding its users from inappropriate accounts and creating a robust platform that operates with the search capabilities of Google. Though it still has a few too many pop-up ads for its premium service, it’s dominating in video collection and curation. YouTube is versatile and appeals to multiple audiences and demographics (businesses, schools, kids, etc.).
ringID
ringID brings together a variety of services including free streaming video calls between users. Positioned as a social commerce platform, it offers the unique experiences in shopping and browsing as well as customized newsfeed and secret chat message features.
“Today’s social media users want and expect more from a social platform,” says Ayrin Islam, Co-Founder & CEO of ringID. “Being better connected with the opportunity to earn income and connect live with others is the next step in making global connection and prosperity a reality.”
The ringID platform was developed in 2016 and has undergone multiple iterations to reach its new technical capabilities. Its reach is extending past South Asian companies to other densely populated nations throughout the world.
TikTok
This site isn’t just for kids! While Millennials and beyond may consider this a more youth-focused platform, it’s beginning to show its versatility. From a few minutes of diversion to deep-dive commentary and learning opportunities, the platform is meeting many of you can look at it for a few minutes for some easy diversions like laughing at other people’s pratfalls and screw-ups. Or you can go to it to learn. Users post downright useful content from recipes to business strategies. Because our attention spans are getting shorter, it’s becoming the perfect medium for quick hits that can help our lives.
The LinkedIn of a few years ago has evolved into a master platform for professional connection and business-to-business networking. What began as a place to share your resume has turned into a platform where thought leaders are established and interaction is key. Any member can post personal observations and commentary, and other users can like, share or comment on them. People can also create their own newsletters and other users can subscribe. While it remains a business professional networking tool, there are endless opportunities for people to be their own publishers and promote themselves as experts.
Gone are the days of 140 character maximums on Twitter. The site continues to grow its features and is creating an accessible, user-friendly platform The social media channel has higher engagement levels than many other sites, and you are able to contact fellow members as well as liking or commenting. Breaking down the barriers between celebrities, top thinkers, and common users is a huge selling point for Twitter which brings communication to new heights. Twitter’s business applications include sharing messages quickly with customers and building a brand with personal connection.
With growing technology in the social media space, every user can find the platform that best suits their needs. From social commerce and connection to business networking, the possibilities continue to expand, and there seems no end in sight to where social media will take us next.
