The official bragging rights have gone to Facebook, which now counts its current user as 1.7 billion. With that astronomical number, it is difficult for any other social network to compete. Having billions of users is a feat in itself and keeping the network growing is another feat that is rarely accomplished. This shows that more of the Earth’s population is growing on the Internet and the need to stay connected is growing rapidly.
Now many may be saying what the meaning of 1.7 billion is besides the fact that it is the largest number to follow a social network. The number 1.7 billion is the size of the Earth’s population a century ago. This means that a century ago, the entire earth would have been a member of Facebook. That’s pretty significant in terms of user base. Most networks don’t host up to 1.7 billion users and can’t make such a bold statement. Because of this, Facebook has established itself as the leading and number 1 provider of social networks on the Internet to date.
Most people are familiar with titles like MySpace, AOL, and other social media platforms that took off when the internet took off. Facebook has drastically changed this canvas to show that it’s more than just a fad, it’s more of a company that has mastered the way social media changes not only life, but our perception of social media as well. Facebook has dabbled in ventures such as making WiFi available in different places on the planet by making drones fly overhead with Internet access and making it available to anyone with a WiFi-enabled device. This not only increases internet coverage, but also provides more exposure to Facebook, which would essentially capture new users who previously might not have had the ability to connect prior to this innovation.
The companies on the verge of this announcement have redoubled their efforts to capture this growing market on Facebook that currently seems to have no end in sight. This is huge for companies trying to build their customer network and be able to communicate with them in real time. Facebook provides that ability to businesses and individuals trying to promote themselves or their business brand to the masses.