71 per cent of companies use Facebook in some capacity, with the amount of content shared on the network doubling from an average 3.5 billion per week in 2010 to 7 billion per week this year. Micro-blogging site Twitter’s activity has grown 252 per cent in a year, from an average 27 million tweets a day being sent last year, to 95 million a day in 2011. Social networking is becoming an organic practice and is accordingly taking on a life of its own. Social media accommodates a wealth of opportunity. Don’t believe us? Well these three distinct examples may just change your mind...

1.    Jamal Edwards of SBTV Global Ltd.
64.5 million Youtube views, 99.5 thousand subscribers, 81 thousand Facebook fans, and almost 40 thousand Twitter followers. SBTV Global Ltd. started by the then 16 year-old Jamal Edwards is the epitome of social media success. The company originated with Edwards single-handedly recording freestyles on a handy cam and uploading them to his Youtube channel. Having featured some of the UK Grime scenes biggest stars and achieving startling popularity he hired a 10-strong production team last year. Off the back of his social media triumph Edwards has started his own record label Just Jam (an imprint of Sony RCA), become the face of baseball cap company New Era’s European campaign, and is the face of Google Chrome in the UK. Tipped by none other than Sir Richard Branson to be one of the UK’s promising entrepreneurs at just 20, there is plenty to come from the burgeoning media mogul.

2.    Dawn Fry of Make Choccies.
Mother of three Dawn Fry is a unique social media powerhouse. Describing herself as a foodie and Twitter-holic, the chocolate maker’s unique business is an amalgamation of two of her loves. As well as conducting chocolate making workshops the social media addict also runs her own consultancy. The entrepreneur proposes that by conversing with fellow chocolate lovers on Twitter she was able to learn about emerging trends and products on the market—resultant in an increase in bookings. In turn she undertook training on the wiles of the key social media platforms and set up her own Smart Social Media company.

3.    Groupon UK.
The daily deals phenomenon is a formidable trend in social media at present. The service founded in 2009 provides discount coupons for 27 cities in the UK on restaurants, spas, salons, travel and more. At present over 8 million people are subscribed to the service and their deals have saved customers over £235 million. The launch of an iPhone app and monetary rewards for users suggesting deals to their friends have helped to increase the businesses scope and customer loyalty. Over 95 per cent of Groupon users have used the service more than once, and 50 per cent have used it five times or more.

Research has found that 96 per cent of Millennials have joined a social network, online communities are here to stay. What’s your social media success story?