I’ll be honest—I wasn’t quite sure what a “platform” really
was when I started on this blog post. I
decided I’d better get a definition to make sure I was writing about the
correct thing, as well as using proper terminology to discuss it. According to Techopedia, “a social platform is a Web-based technology that enables the development,
deployment and management of social media solutions and services. It provides the ability to create social media
websites and services with complete social media network functionality.”
Compare using social media to how you act around different
groups of people in your social circle.
Think of how you act with your friends, how you act with clients, or how
you act around family. Every social
meeting platform can be compared to a different group, a different meeting or a
different room depending on where you are.
It is important to use different messaging on each platform so that you
can fully use the tools each comes equipped with. The following text talks about the 4 big
social-media platforms: Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
When using Twitter, use a trending hashtag; one that many
people might see. Include a question to
make people stop and think about your tweet.
Use line breaks as they allow your tweet to take up a larger portion of
the screen and can attract attention. Facebook
is more about the image. Compare your Facebook
imaging to that of print and magazine advertising. Instagram is all about real images from where
you are and what you see. It is about
simple snapshots taken from a phone. It’s
personal; it’s for those real-life moments.
Pinterest is both about pictures and information. People shop on Pinterest, so they are willing
to spend more time on content. It is ok
to use more space on Pinterest than on other platforms, as the platform
dimensions can allow it.
How do you know which platform is right for you? It really depends on what your interest
is. Is it news? A professional network? Photo / visual communications? (Snapchat might be safe because it is likely
that your mom isn’t going to be on there and that might count for something). At the link below is a social media cheat
sheet that lists the pros and cons of several top platforms.
Social media platforms can be broken into 3 categories,
which helped me to understand them better.
There are social media platforms that help you Network (like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.); there are social media platforms that help
you Promote (like YouTube, blogs,
etc.); and social media platforms that help you Share (like Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.)
If you would like more information on the top 52 social
platforms, as well as the categories they fall under, I would suggest that you
check out the following website:
No matter which platform you choose, understanding your
niche and the community you want to engage with are important aspects in making
an educated and successful decision.
Sources:
I also had to get used to using the word "platform" when talking about all the social media sites. Its interesting to think that there are so many different uses for these platforms!
ReplyDeleteAndrew Williams - I like how you brought in reputable and factual information into your blog bringing it depth and substance to ponder. Great way to back-up your overall argument throughout the blog. Keep it up!
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