The 10 Most Innovative Companies In Social Media 2017

Gone are the days of managing regularly updated Facebook profiles or Twitter accounts and calling it “social media.” Our very means of social connectivity have transformed in the last year, demanding that users and companies alike adapt to new platforms and ever-changing trends. As lines between competitors start to blur—hello Snapchat and Instagram!—and new ways of communication crop up from unlikely brands, it’s clear that how we connect online will continue to evolve.

Below are 10 companies that have changed the way we think of social media—and will continue to do so into 2017.

Click on a company name to learn more about why it made the list.

01. SNAP
For giving users a virtual playground

02. FACEBOOK
For live broadcasting world-changing events

03. TENCENT
For reinventing the messaging app—again and again

04. GLOSSIER
For creating cult products from social insights

05. TACO BELL
For turning feedback into viral content

06. DUOLINGO
For letting friends compare notes

07. THE SHADE ROOM
For Instagramming real-time celeb gossip

08. SPRINKLR
For managing big brands’ reputations

09. WATTPAD
For turning online fan fiction into Hollywood entertainment

10. MUSICAL.LY
For syncing tweens around the world