Social Media Use by Artisans

Social media, in general, is a form of communication that enables users to share content and messages utilizing information technology-enabled applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. According to the popular social media marketing service provider Hootsuite.​com, the very first social media platform called sixdegrees.​com started in 1997. The platform provided users with features such as sending messages to other users and creating personal profiles. Over the last decade, the number of social media platforms, as well as users of these platforms, has increased substantially. The high rate of adopting such platforms can be attributed to relatively higher access to high-speed Internet, availability of affordable smartphones, and attractiveness of numerous functions offered by the latest social media platforms ranging from video calls to online shopping.