Social Media: Who Needs It?

Social Media.

The term itself has undergone such a transformation as of late, quickly moving from its novel roots and praise of endless conceptual potential to what is now an almost indiscernible flood of gimick websites, tools and spam bots.

Just three years ago, virtually no commercial presence was felt on Facebook.

Now?

Take a look at the picture to the left. Anything stand out?

Social Media.

What once was a collection of interactive online communities made up of real, live people is now overflowing with over 900 million objects, meaning anything not directly considered a personal profile, for users to interact with, and over 3 million "fan" pages, featuring businesses, brands and products that users can "Like" and, subsequently, follow.


So in three years, Facebook has grown from just over 50 million active users to, according to the most recent figures, 12 times that.


How they did it is so often trivialized with marketing analysis and studies of PR campaigns. But, in studying business, like studying anything in life, focus too close on one thing and you'll lose sight of the other. 


Examining the logistical and corporate "how" of Facebook's success, you'll miss out on the biggest reason for it, what they offered their users.


It wasn't glamorous or anything financially rewarding, at least not back then.


What it offered was connection.


For the first time in human history, we were as close as our internet connectivity would allow us to be, on opposite sides of the world but separated by mere computer screens. Our lives were linked.


That's the real "how" of Facebook's success, how it enriched our lives.


These days, signing onto Facebook is almost like opening your mailbox. Most of it's junk but every so often there's something meaningful from someone close to you or some offer that is real enough and really helps you in your life, a hand extended, reaching out for yours.


And that's our approach here at Larkin Hospitality. You see, we're simply no more or less than the sum of all our parts, but as a family of hotels, restaurants, development projects and real estate firms, it all adds up to one huge hand that we get to extend out to you, our guests.


From promotions that return our guests' loyalty with reward points and discounted rates to spreading the word about the charitable ventures we get behind, our online presence is so much more than a "Find Us On Facebook" printed on your pillowcase. It's a familial hand extended out, saying, "From our family to yours, we hope you've enjoyed your stay."

Stephen Churchill

Social Media Director | Larkin Hospitality