Instagram and Twitter are only two examples of social media networking. Learn about the seven different types of social networking and how to use each for your business in this article.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “social media?”
It’s probably one of the big four social media networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. (Alternatively, because social media moves so quickly, there may be a new kid on the block before we even publish this post.)
It makes sense that you would consider these networks first.
Every day, billions of people are drawn to a massive social media network like Facebook. Many businesses use it as part of their marketing strategy.
However, social media sites such as Facebook are only one type of social networking platform. We’ll go over the seven different types of social media and how each one can help you and your business.
Sites for traditional social networking
Most of us have heard of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok. These platforms allow us to communicate with our friends, family, and brands. They promote knowledge sharing and emphasize personal, human-to-human interaction.
A social networking site can do everything. Users can share ideas, curate content, upload photos and videos, form interest-based groups, and participate in lively discussions. They are designed with the user in mind, as well as everything that is important to them and their social circles.
They also assist us in measuring the social media ROI, which aids us in developing an effective marketing strategy.
So, how can a traditional social networking site benefit your business?
Ads can help you reach a specific audience.
These platforms foster large and diverse communities. Advertisers can rent people’s permission to interact with them based on specific targeting metrics. For example, an advertiser who wants to reach a predominantly young audience could use Snapchat, whereas those who want to reach a professional user might prefer LinkedIn.
Because these platforms are so data-rich, you can reach a large number of the right people without spending your entire advertising budget.
Network
Engage with followers, use hashtags and groups to find like-minded customers or potential business partners, and make connections.
Research
Social networking platforms are excellent places to conduct customer research and use social listening tools to track conversations centered on specific terms. This can help you better understand (and serve) your audience.
Sites for social reviews
What is the first thing you do when planning a vacation or purchasing a new product? If you’re like us, you’ll skip right to the reviews.
Yelp and TripAdvisor, for example, display reviews from community members for a wide range of locations and experiences. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of booking a restaurant or hotel. Not sure if it’s right for you? Check out the reviews to find out.
Businesses can greatly benefit from studying their reviews, both positive and negative. It benefits them:
Recognize the customer’s point of view
Reviews provide information about the customer experience from the perspective of the reviewer. Use this to determine what is working and where there is room for improvement.
Resolve issues
Reviews provide an opportunity to interact with reviewers and resolve any potential issues before they become a major issue.
Sites for sharing images and videos
Images, infographics, and illustrations capture our hearts, eyes, and imaginations. Instagram, Imgur, and Snapchat are social media platforms that are designed to amplify the power of image sharing. (Or, more recently, video sharing.)
Users create, curate, and share one-of-a-kind content that sparks discussion and speaks for itself. For your business, a picture or video can be worth a thousand words. Use these resources to:
Promote user-generated content
Photogenic businesses will appreciate content sharing sites. You can run campaigns encouraging users to take a picture or video with your product and a unique hashtag and share it.
Make inspiration
You can inspire and engage users while bonding over a common interest by creating, curating, and sharing your own content.
Sites that host videos
YouTube changed the way we watch, make, and think about video. It turned the medium into something approachable. Recent advancements in technology and connectivity have aided video’s progress.
Creators can use video hosting platforms like YouTube and Vimeo to put together content and share it on a platform optimized for streaming. Because of this, video has become a very important medium.
Make use of video hosting sites to:
Distribute fantastic content
Yes. This may seem obvious, but creators can use YouTube to build communities and spread their content.
Engage
The comment section on YouTube provides numerous opportunities to get to know the people who are watching your content.
Blogs for the community
Sometimes an image or post isn’t complex enough to convey your message, but not everyone on the internet wants to run a blog from their own website. That is a significant amount of work.
Shared blogging platforms such as Medium and Tumblr allow people to express themselves and connect with readers.
These community blog sites provide an audience while also allowing for plenty of customization and self-expression. You can use them to:
Improve your voice
Starting a blog can be intimidating. Use platforms such as Medium and Tumblr to find your voice, gain readers, and clarify your vision.
Distribute content
If you have a blog, you can share, repurpose, and re-post older content to reach a new audience by using community blogging platforms.
Websites for discussion
While most of us have witnessed many heated debates on Facebook, discussion sites such as Reddit and Quora are specifically designed to spark a discussion.
Anyone can ask a question or make a statement, which draws people with similar interests and curiosities. Users on Twitter, on the other hand, tend to give out less identifiable information than on Facebook and Instagram. When it comes to people opening up and being honest, anonymity is extremely powerful.
So, how can these platforms benefit your company?
Research
Reddit is divided into sub-communities. You can find and engage people in your field, learn what they’re asking, and use this as a starting point for your content marketing strategy with a little research.
Respond to questions
Quora users ask a wide range of questions. Responding to them can help you establish yourself as a thought leader and increase traffic to your website.
Networks for the sharing economy
Sites like Airbnb and Rover are more than just a fun way to find cheap vacation rentals or a pet sitter. Sharing economy networks connect people who have something they want to share with people who need it.
These communities create opportunities that would not be possible without technology by pooling resources on a large scale.
Discovering the best social media network for you
Social media comes in a variety of flavors. You can use most of these social networking sites to help your business in some way.
Keep the following considerations in mind as you decide which types of social networking to pursue:
Before you post, decide what you want to achieve.
Consider your options creatively and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Always maintain a human touch.
Use Biteable to create social media videos
The majority of social networking sites thrive on video. Biteable also works well for video producers.
To get you started, Biteable has over 24 million stock images, video clips, animations, and templates. Text, animations, background music, and even a voice-over can be easily added. Upload your own video and image clips, or record new ones directly from the app. It’s simple — and enjoyable — with Biteable. Begin your free trial to see what all the fuss is about.
