Photo Sharing
Instagram started out in the year 2010 as a platform for photo sharing. Today, it is a popular platform for younger generations because of the improved features that it can offer. From simply posting pictures to videos, it also has a function that allows users to snap seconds of their ‘stories’ and upload it for better and faster attraction.
This function helps to give the first exposure and introduction of business products or services that individual pictures could not draw. Instagram stories are preferred because it is more light hearted and real time compared to a perfectly edited picture.
In the year 2018, Instagram added a new feature which allows users to sell products and this can be done by clicking on the payment feature. Furthermore, it also helps to do advertising where an option called ‘Check It Out’ will redirect consumers to the product page and promote convenient shopping.
Pinterest was launched in the year 2010 and also deals with photo sharing but it is a platform more targeted on businesses such as culinary, travel or art topics where pictures are louder and more appealing in terms of visuality.
Individuals who use Pinterest are usually those on the search for information on certain ideas, products or impressions. Which is the reason why many business owners choose to do businesses with Pinterest because it directs consumers to their webpage with these visually attractive photos. It is a suitable platform to help businesses to increase traffic flow and profit.
Video Sharing
Youtube
Youtube was founded in the year 2005 and is a platform for video sharing. Today, Youtube has a wide range of users regardless of age and consist of multiple categories of video content and topic. It is a popular platform for consumers because it has great strength for video marketing. Furthermore, it is a good way for product, service or even business exposure because it has high traffic and user friendly interface usage.
In today’s time, smartphone devices help individuals watch video content from Youtube that they may have missed. This re-run is convenient for individuals and business owners from the media companies who would then take the opportunity to create a channel on Youtube and upload their episode content on Youtube instead of airing it on television. This helps businesses save cost and at the same time bring in traffic for their production.
Another more commonly seen advertising on Youtube is sponsorship where businesses pay popular channels or famous Youtube creators for advertising their products or services in the videos. In this instance, there are multiple business flows. Number one, we see that business owners make use of popular channels to expose their products or services for attraction. Number two, we see that these Youtube channels that help advertise these products or services get to earn a profit. And number three, consumers are exposed to products or services and decide to purchase.
Youtube is probably one of the most frequently used platforms for businesses because of the wide variety of video content that can link it to relatable business products and services.
Social Networking
Facebook was launched in the year 2004 and it took the world like a huge storm, wiped out Friendster and changed people’s perception on social media platforms. Because there are a lot of functions that Facebook can offer, the diversity is perhaps one of the reasons why users prefer to venture into Facebook.
When an individual logs in to Facebook, he or she is fed with information on the latest news, deals or any ongoings that are happening around the world. These news or updates are shared by their family, friends or the pages that they follow and provide them the information to stay connected with the people around them.
Facebook is also easy to understand and use which is probably why older generations are staying in Facebook more than the younger ones. Other than news and updates, Facebook also allows blogging features like picture or video sharing, descriptive wordings and links provided by business owners for consumers’ convenience. It is also a great platform to allow fast and efficient communication between businesses and customers.
With that said, companies are still using Facebook for business purposes because of the targeted advertising and the low cost of marketing but high traffic flow.
LinkedIn was found in the year 2002 and the purpose of this platform is to create opportunities for career and hiring. Business owners with the need for manpower expansion would prefer LinkedIn because other than the common functions like application and search, it also has the ability for users to post or share an update. This feature allows the consumers to showcase and promote themselves. For business owners, frequent updates can help them introduce and increase brand awareness and reputation.
There is a lot more to do on LinkedIn and that includes joining groups, creating your own network or even finding events that could increase chances of businesses to identify a potential team player for hire.
Twitter is a platform launched in the year 2006, the main purpose of Twitter is to blog and share short postings that could be anything from news, sports, health to beauty and life. It is a platform that provides fast and simple interaction which makes it one of the top picked platforms for businesses.
The platform helps businesses to promote their brandings, products and services as well as keep these companies up to date on the latest trend in the field because of the hashtags and straight forward posting contents. Feedbacks or enquiries from consumers can be done in an instant which helps to save time.
Twitter is also mostly used by Celebrities to share their updates and latest. Business owners will then pay them to help advertise products or services through picture or even video posting. This instance will be similar to Youtube on why businesses decide to go for Twitter in promoting their brandings.
Interviews and Video Conferencing
Skype & Zoom
Skype was released in the year 2003 and Zoom was introduced in the year 2011. Both of these platforms allow fast connection on numerous devices which makes it easy for business teams to communicate on the go. It is all the more used by consumers now because of the pandemic where individuals start working from home and companies are using these platforms for interviews and conference meetings.
There is a small difference between Zoom and Skype although each have their own advantages for these differences. For Skype, it allows up to 50 members in one video conference and usage is more towards document sharing and instant messaging live.
As for Zoom, it supports up to 100 members in one video and users go for Zoom because it is easy and straight to the point. Businesses go for these two platforms because it helps them save cost on travel, increase efficiency for communication and most importantly is very easy to set up. With that said, consumers can pick either Zoom or Skype depending on what they require for the video conference.
Conclusion
Business owners can explore and first understand the differences as well as the functions that each social media platform has to offer. Every business model has their own uniqueness and it is important for them to find a social media platform that is suitable for them to operate and for them to expand their business growth and profit. While going digital is a great opportunity for business to develop, it is crucial to always remember that the social media platform should be able to help businesses improve in the long run and identify any possible emerging markets in the future too.
