Before you start building a social media profile, you need to make sure you build it on the social media platform that is right for your product or service. There are hundreds of social media platforms out there, and all of them serve a variety of purposes.
It is essential to know how to save all the efforts you’ll waste if this endeavour doesn’t succeed. 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 one 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 important part of your offline and online business. Make your business presence offline as well as online to attract more customers.
5 Types of Social Media Platforms & Benefits for Your Business in 2023
Below you will find a list of some types of social media platforms currently being used by millions of internet users.
All you need to do is to make sure that the process of managing your social media presence on an online platform goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Social Networking Platform
Those are the most common and most used social media platforms for internet users. 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 but what distinguishes them from this kind of social media platform is that in the visual data-sharing platform, their primary and defining purpose is to share visual information only.
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 talking about 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 or 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 references. And there is also an option for sharing it with your friends and loved ones.
Although Instagram does not belong in this category, it does offer a feature for internet users to save the 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 hotels, travel destinations, etc.
Others are Yelp or Zomato, where internet users will find reviews about restaurant and food services being offered worldwide.
Food lovers or travellers 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 themselves and even add new information if they wish to.
Review networking sites bring these brands and companies one step closer to building networks around their consumers.
Our Thoughts
Before determining whether they should have a social media presence, brands and companies need to 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.
