What We See And What We Know | Perceiving Facebook

 Insight Into Facebook

Facebook has been in existence since the year 2004. I’m pretty sure Mark Zuckerberg had no idea that this app he created, specifically for the use of his Harvard university mates, would be used by people like you and I.  

For those of you who may not know, Facebook is an online social networking service. It has been booming throughout the years from 2004 till Present times…From 1 million users to over 3 billion users at present.

I must admit I am one of those users. My first-time installing Facebook was somewhere between 2 to 3 years ago.

I don’t know about you, but going to school I would always hear “Facebook is for old people” and at that time I perceived it to be true because no one in my class used Facebook, only apps like Instagram, Tik Tok and WhatsApp. However, I’d always see my mother and recently grandmother using the app.

 

The app has many features: 

-Friends

-Pages

-News Feed

-Timeline

-Events

-Marketplace

-etc.

It allows for interactions in different forms, it even has emoji reactions users can use in response to posts, messages, etc.

 

Overall, I think the platform is manageable but sometimes all of the little icons can be a bit confusing. Maybe I’m being too picky.

 

As a user here are some of the BEST ways you can use Facebook:

• To engage in conversations and interactions with family, friends and persons worldwide.
• To stay updated with world news and circulating trends.
• To find businesses, travel sites, interesting places and hobbies near you.
• To express your emotions, creativity, perspectives on topics of your interest.
• To learn about new tricks and hacks that can affect your daily life.
• To post content that can be a source of income once monetized.

 

How can Business owners use Facebook to their Advantage?

As a business owner, whether your business is small or large, already well-known or have never been heard about, Facebook can be used as a tool to aid in the business venture.

Businesses can:

• Advertise and Market their business, its products and services using the various features from Facebook (posts, videos, reels, stories, pop up ads, etc.).
• Make use of Facebook algorithms that will filter the business’ ads and related content to users of the platform.
• Use Facebook to engage with a specific target market (e.g. elders).
• Track and Analyze the levels of engagement between posts, reels, ads, etc. being shared and viewed by users.  
• Interact with customers and consumers who may have queries or feedback.
• Update the viewers on any promotions, sales or updates happening with their business.

 

Conclusion

In my opinion, Facebook is indeed a unique social platform. Yes, it does have similar features to other social media platforms but in general the brand has its own style, designs, and way of operating. I like Facebook and find it fairly easy to navigate, however it is not my first choice when it comes to which social media platform I would rather use. 

Everyone’s view may differ in some way.

What’s your Perception on Facebook?

~Naomi Browne