Before you build a social media profile, you must make it on the social media platform that is right for your product or service. Hundreds of social media platforms are out there, all of which serve various purposes.
Knowing how to save all the efforts you’ll waste if this endeavor doesn’t succeed is essential.
But before you get into that, you need a reliable working internet to make sure you stay updated and online while managing your social media presence.
Xfinity Internet, for example, offers reasonable internet speeds for smooth streaming and browsing at budget-friendly costs.
The deal, from the most affordable to the premium packages, are all ideas for someone looking to run their business page on social media platforms.
As we know, technology is the most essential part of your offline and online business. Make your business presence offline as well as online to attract more customers.
Table of Contents
5 Types of Social Media Platforms & Benefits for Your Business
Below you will find a list of social media platforms millions of Internet users currently use.
All you need to do is make sure that managing your social media presence on an online platform goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Social Networking Platform
Those are internet users’ most common and most used social media platforms. It was initially created for internet users to stay connected to their loved ones and share their life stories, but now marketing is a big part of social networking sites.
Social networking sites are now the hub of sharing current affairs, hobbies, and vacation photos for job recruitment.
Brands have many benefits, such as market research, brand awareness, lead generation, customer service, relationship building, etc.
Social networking sites encourage businesses and brands to interact with their consumers online and share data and thoughts to ensure mutually productive relationships.
2. Visual Data-sharing Platform
This platform depends on visual cues to attract and target consumers. These platforms allow Internet users and brands to share media online, including photos, videos, and live videos.
Examples of these platforms are Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Facebook and Twitter also allow for sharing of photos and videos. However, what distinguishes them from this kind of social media platform is that their primary and defining purpose in the visual data-sharing forum is to share only visual information.
3. Forums
In this social media platform, internet users find, discuss and share news, information, and opinions. But forums can be an excellent source for market research for brands and companies.
They can also advertise on them, though ads and posts remain separate. Forums are the oldest types of social media, and examples of these forums are Quora, Digg, Reddit, etc.
As the name suggests, internet users find out what everyone is discussing on a particular subject and weigh in on it. Forums also allow internet users to remain anonymous while using them.
It can also be ideal for market research to dig deeper and find brutally honest opinions on consumers’ preferences or experiences about a particular product or service.
4. Bookmarking Social Media
Bookmarking social media platforms are the hotbed for creativity and inspiration for internet users looking for information or ideas.
Examples of these types of social media are Pinterest or Flipboard, and internet users use these social media sites to learn about, save, share, and discuss trending content.
That content can be anything from music to videos, images, and quotes, where brand awareness comes in.
Companies and brands can also share content and photos about their products and services while keeping up with the trends.
If any prospective or existing consumer comes across the content designed by the brand, he can bookmark it for future reference. And there is also an option for sharing it with your friends and loved ones.
Although Instagram is not in this category, it offers internet users a feature to save content in their private collections.
5. Review Networking Sites
TripAdvisor is the most used review networking site where people can post or look up reviews of hotels, travel destinations, etc.
Others are Yelp or Zomato, where internet users will find reviews about restaurants and food services worldwide.
Food lovers or travelers can review networking sites to learn about new places they are about to try or look up recommendations.
Those reviews are posted by internet users who have used these services, and brands and companies can keep track of published information about their products and services.
These can answer some of the consumers’ queries and even add new information if they wish to.
Review networking sites bring these brands and companies closer to building networks around their consumers.
Our Thoughts
Before determining whether they should have a social media presence, brands and companies must consider their available resources.
They need a thoroughly planned mission and media assets to follow a theme on their chosen social media platform to execute it smoothly.
