Social Media Has Been Around Longer Than You Think

Marni Weinberg - March 4, 2010

There’s nothing quite like a trip down memory lane. Sadly, my uncle passed away not too long ago and my brother and I have shared the difficult task of going through his belongings. Boy was he a pack rat! He had saved everything from his kindergarten report card to this Howdy Doody Collector’s Pin from 1947, which I might add, is in mint condition. I took a closer look at the post card that accompanies the pin and was amazed at the verbiage on the card. Obviously there was no internet back then, but that did not stop them from taking their best shot at creating as much buzz as possible. Tell All of Your Friends about the Howdy Doody Club…Don’t forget to watch me on NBC Television, etc. …It got me thinking about how businesses utilize Facebook and Twitter today; we are essentially doing the same thing, however, in a much more sophisticated fashion.

Although Facebook originally launched in 2004, followed by Twitter in 2006, Social Media is not “new” by any stretch. According to Answers.com, “Although social media as a term is relatively new, many experts cite its origins to the development of ArpaNet – the predecessor of the Internet.” 

Without even realizing it, we have been utilizing components of  Social Media for many years and with the constant media buzz surrounding it, I do not see it going away anytime soon, if ever. If you have a website and are not actively promoting your company/brand/products services, etc. through the various Social Media channels, you are missing out on opportunities galore.