Social Media is So Much More

The true power of social media is oftentimes ignored and at many times ridiculed.

Personally, I find that many people think of social media solely as the apps on their phone that are used to post personal life updates, check out what other people – be it friends, family, or influencer/celebrities – are up to, and have both public and private conversations with other users. 

On the surface level, all of that is true. But on a broad level, social media is much more. Social media is the most powerful vehicle by which to build a brand, grow your network, and share your message.

Small Business Impacts

The issue is that people limit their thinking to other matters relating to social media, mainly its detrimental effects. While those should definitely not be ignored, we should not put them on the pedestal when social media has also changed other people’s lives for the better. Because, well, it has – for many individuals and small businesses.

Think about the positive effect social media has had on society, and consider what would happen if we whipped it out of the picture.

In December 2024, Mae Anderson wrote for the Associated Press that “According to TikTok’s own estimates, small businesses on TikTok would lose more than $1 billion in revenue in a single month if the ban goes into effect.” Regardless of where you stand on TikTok, one must admit that its absence would be felt by small businesses all over America.

If TikTok disappears for good – by this, I mean more than the one day it disappeared earlier this year – the impact would be noticeable and tangible.

According to an article by Hawra Hashem for social media agency Kubbco, small businesses “can use social media to build an interested audience.” And if businesses can do that, one can figure that people certainly can as well.

The Influencer Industry

People wouldn’t be joking about Jake or Logan Paul if they were never on Vine. No one would have known about Charli D’Amelio if she didn’t use TikTok. We wouldn’t be watching crazy challenges on Amazon Prime if Mr. Beast had never started making YouTube videos.

There are so many other examples that I could name off the top of my head: Dude Perfect, Khaby Lame, Marques Brownlee, Livvy Dunne, and more. In fact, there’s so many success stories that Forbes – the predominant business magazine – published a whole list of top social media creators. 

Hold up and reel it back in. You mean to tell me that social media is so powerful that a leading business publication took notice of the legitimacy of the continually-emerging influencer industry? Yes, because these influencers, for better or worse, have started successful businesses because of their following, and it’s an opportunity that even the average everyday person can take advantage of.

Am I saying that all social media influencers are good? Absolutely not. I don’t even follow a lot of influencers cause I personally can’t stand a lot of them. There are bad influencers on social media, as there are bad influences at school or the workplace. But the idea of the influencer itself is a good thing, one which has given people a secondary source of income. I would argue that we shouldn’t be complaining about that.

Why not start creating content so you can grow a following and maybe start a side hustle? I’m not saying that you need to turn into Emma Chamberlain and start a popular coffee chain.

But if you’re an artist and want to sell your work, you should start sharing it on social media.

If you’re a writer, start a Substack. You never know how it could possibly grow.

Like some weird topic you have a ton of knowledge about but don’t know what to do with? Start a TikTok talking about it and build a community of people who like the same thing.

Social media has given the opportunity for the average person to become a media creator; an opportunity that did not exist just a couple decades ago.

Career Opportunities

In a world where “Referral rates show referred individuals are four times more likely to get hired than candidates from other sources,” according Ana Djurovic for job site GoRemotely, why not use LinkedIn to connect with professionals all over the country? It can not only expand your horizons and digital footprint, but also open yourself up to opportunity. 

The reason I know personally that social media is powerful is because I have experienced it firsthand. I have over 1,000 connections on LinkedIn – that’s not even close enough to make me even a nano-influencer, but it’s a lot for me. LinkedIn got me my first internship – a hiring manager saw my profile, it caught their eye, and they reached out to me. Actual career opportunities can be made possible through social media.

Don’t Ignore It, Use It 

I write all of this to say that we need to stop limiting our idea of what social media is capable of. You just need to know how to do it right – create engaging content that resonates with the right people.

Now is the time to not just mindlessly scroll on social media, but to use social media to your benefit. No longer will you be controlled by the technology, but you will be in control of it.

Social media, when used correctly, can be used as a key to build the future you want. Many success stories have come from this age of the internet, and if you are so inclined as to write your own, you must begin while the opportunity is still present.