Facebook and Twitter offers social interaction with a wide range of options like photos, sharing news and art, networking with friends and family, and discussion of topics within the online communities you network with. Both sites are used personally or professionally depending on your goal. For personal use, you may want to keep in touch with friends after moving into a new state 200 miles away. As for professionally, a business may want to hear and connect with their consumers. What are they saying about my product? Why is there no traffic? Businesses also use such sites to promote and advertise their product. This can increase the traffic flow within their business. They may even use the sites to look up potential applicants or B2B opportunities, hearing what the consumers of that business have to say about them. They can view their clients and consumers profile to get more familiar with their wants, desires, and ultimate needs. Other sites lean more towards professional profiling, such as LinkedIn.
LinkedIn offers online networking for professionals rather than for personal uses. It's wide range of professionals can range from artists, retailers, businessmen and women, industrialists, and the like. Businesses use LinkedIn for networking with other businesses, as well as allowing opportunities in hiring potential professionals. Same applies to individual professionals or those who are just entering the job market. Thus, LinkedIn offers these individuals to display their resume, qualifications, and those they are connected with within such industries. Some other sites may be more appropriate for personal use rather than for businesses.
Snapchat and Pinterest is more for personal use. However, one can use it to promote and advertise their product. Whether if it is tangible or not, Snapchat and Pinterest can increase the products awareness and in the long run it's revenue. Another platform that is similar to Snapchat and Pinterest is Instagram.
Instagram is a combination of all the above. I believe Instagram is best used as a fluff to another platform. Whether you're looking to upload your family and friends photos or as a hobby, you enjoy taking photos or just sharing adventures with everyone, Instagram can be used personally for an individual. However, Instagram could be used professionally if linked with other social media sites. Thus, making it very powerful to promote a business product or message. Instagram would not be a strong and best choice for a business to use if it is not linked to other platforms. For instance, a restaurant business may upload some amazing photos of food and customer's enjoying it's service. Yes, pictures do say a thousand words. Though, a message may not come across the way the business would like it to or worse the viewers may become uninterested! The opposite would occur and could hinder the business. On the other hand, if a business has their Instagram linked with their other social media platforms, this could create more traffic and interaction overall!
To best use a social media site is to understand the function, interaction for instance, how far can it reach and to whom, and to what objective are you trying to accomplish. What would you use personally or professionally?
Great post! and so many great points. I agree social media can be used for both and also using cross promoting amongst different platforms works very well. my favorite is probably Instagram because it's so visually immersive
ReplyDeleteReally never thought of Instagram being as such, though I have yet to try the site. What do you mean by immersive? Can you expand on that for me?
DeleteGreat post! You make a very good point about choosing the site based on what objective you are seeking. That makes sense that a business might use a more personal site like Instagram as part of their strategy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Alison! I hope you are having a great week! What are you majoring in? Are there any other classes you are taking? I think i may take personal selling or web development. Haha I know very different yea?!
DeleteExcellent post! Very informative and well explained. I am not very familiar with most Social Media Platforms and your post helped me understand them a little better. I totally agree that most Social Medias can be used for both personal and business purposes and they can definitely complement each other as you promote your business. The main thing is to decide what you need from Social Media then choose which one(s) to use based on its function and tools.
ReplyDeleteNice! Never thought of that! What you need from Social Media? Thank you for your post and helping me as well! :)
DeleteGreat Post! Good information and i like how you develop your marketing skills and writing skills. I agree with you about Linkedin is fully business use. once other platforms can be used depending on the goals to accomplish. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you Marcela! Hope all is well! Have you created an LinkedIn account yet? I did, but have yet to improve on it! Yikes!
DeletePromoting a business using a cross platform strategy is an idea that I had not thought of to this point. That is a great idea, that I'm probably going to use for this non-profit I'm in. The multitude of social media platforms there are provide many different combinations for this cross platform strategy. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome! I learned this cross platform strategy in my Marketing and Advertising and Promotions courses last semester! Very good classes as well!
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