What is a social network – Definition, meaning and examples

Definition:

A social network is a term used to describe a variety of platforms, applications, and technologies that allow people to interact socially with others over the web. Some examples of social media sites and apps can be Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and other sites that have content based on user engagement and user-generated content (UGC).

Social media is becoming an integral part of online life, as websites and social apps proliferate. Most traditional online media include social components, such as comment fields for users. In business, social media is used for product marketing, brand promotion, connecting with current customers, and fostering new business.

Social Media Analytics

Within analytics, social media analytics is the practice of collecting data from blogs and social media websites and their subsequent analysis to make business decisions. The most common use of social media analytics is to gain customer trust to support marketing and customer service activities.

From the customer’s perspective, social media makes it easy to tell a company and all other users about their customer experiences with that company – whether these experiences are good or bad. The company can also respond very quickly, leading to feedback, whether positive or negative, address customer issues and maintain, regain or rebuild customer trust.

On the other hand, the integration of social media into the business world can also pose problems. Social media policies are designed to set expectations for appropriate behavior and ensure that an employee’s messages do not expose the company to legal problems or public embarrassment. These policies include guidelines for when an employee should identify themselves as a company representative on a social media website, as well as rules for what kind of information can be shared over the network.

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