Why is Facebook so Popular?

Everyone is on Facebook today. It’s not uncommon to see television commercials that include entreaties at the end for the viewer to “Like” them on Facebook. Most websites you visit on the Internet are also linked to Facebook; in fact, over 2.5 million websites have created their own Facebook pages. Web design companies and SEO firms are helping businesses with Facebook marketing. With more than 600 million active users, it’s almost impossible to go an entire day without seeing some reference to Facebook.
So why is Facebook so popular? I think the answer to that question depends on who you ask. For some, it’s a quick and easy way to stay in touch with their friends. Others think it is a great way to anonymously see what all their old classmates from high school are doing now. Many others feel that it is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family who are spread throughout the country, or even the world.
The popularity of the Internet has exploded in recent years, and social media wasn’t far behind. Blogs were one of the first types of social media. They allowed anyone to state an opinion, share experiences and spark conversations, all with anonymity. While they allowed people to discuss topics, blogs lacked the interaction and chat capabilities that people truly wanted.
Social media sites like MySpace and Facebook soon popped up to fill these gaps. So why is Facebook more popular than MySpace? Perhaps it’s because of the simple design; MySpace profiles often play music that many may find annoying, and often have designs that are so “busy” that it can be difficult to read the information on the page. Facebook, on the other hand, has a clean and simple design. It’s easy to view pictures and read what’s going on in people’s lives.
Individuals enjoy Facebook because of its obvious social benefits. It’s a great way to see how old friends, that we haven’t seen in ten, fifteen or even twenty years, are doing and then deciding if we want to start communicating. This social media platform also provides a perfect way to stay in touch with friends and family no matter how far apart they are.
Businesses may enjoy Facebook for many different reasons including the easy integration options and free advertising opportunities. Prior to the Internet, the main avenues of advertising were radio or television commercials, printed ads in newspapers or magazines, direct mail marketing and word of mouth. Many of these avenues can be extremely expensive, so businesses saw a great alternative in Facebook “pages”.
Small businesses can take advantage of Facebook pages for practically no cost at all; and in some cases, word of your business can spread like wild fire around the social network. That’s a potential customer base of more than five hundred million people around the world.
Facebook is popular because it connects people around the globe. It’s a place where you can share what’s happening in your life with a single sentence. It’s a place where businesses can find new customers and interact with their customers quickly and easily. With twenty million new applications being added to Facebook every day, it’s clear that this social giant is not going anywhere!