It seems that these days, all we talk about is liking a page, following someone, re-tweeting a post, click here, click there…the world is going nuts for Social Media and it doesn’t look like this phenomenal will die out any time soon.
For some of you out there, it may seem like the norm to tap on your smart phones and post about your latest meal. But from a business point of view, this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg in terms of how social media can shape your online presence.
Twitter
A simple yet fast paced way to connect with everything, everywhere. Twitter offers real-time information that connects you with the latest stories, opinions and ideas. There are around 200 million active users across the globe, making this a very powerful platform to be associated with.
Last week, Twitter released a new app, Vine. This cheeky app allows users to upload high quality, very short (about six seconds) looping videos. Some examples we have seen online includes ‘Steak tartare in six seconds’ and your general prank clips.
Pros: This is an effective way to ‘abbreviate something much larger’ according to Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman.
Cons: As well as the good, there is always the ugly. Since the launch of Vine, the new tech media has already seen users upload adult content. This resulted in Twitter briefly showing a hardcore pornographic video as ‘Editor’s Pick’. The video appeared at the top of many users’ feed, but was quickly removed this morning.
Facebook
There are around 1 billion users currently on the great Zuckerberg platform. Everyday users are interacting with one another, promoting their brands, their services. It’s an incredibly busy and exciting hub where businesses can engage with their target market and meet potential clients.
The team behind Facebook are currently working with Chris Cox (VP of products) to utilise the existing ‘News Feed’. Right now the News Feed section you see on your profile is determined by ‘Edge Rank’. An algorithm which selects specific content depending on the amount of comments or likes it has.
Chris Cox will be looking at changing this News Feed algorithm into a ‘running query’, where the content put in front of us will be more relevant to the user. E.g. purchase history, web history, location. etc.
Google+ 
This seems like the new kid on the block, but with 343 million active users, it’s actually taken off in recent years. It has even outranked Twitter and become the world’s 2nd most popular social network after Facebook. This is another major player in the social media industry, as it lets you group your contacts into ‘Circles’ by topic Friends, Family, Colleagues. etc, making it easy for you to share content with relevant people.
Linkedin
Since it was established back in 2003, Linkedin is known as ‘Facebook with a Tie’. The sole purpose of this networking site is to liaise with other businesses and raise your expert profile. It is an ideal platform to raise your professional image and credibility as there are options to add your credentials/portfolio and engage with other professionals in and around your relevant industry. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but from a business perspective, this is a popular network especially for professionals in the B2B industry.
When choosing social media as a form of marketing for your business, you must understand that one size does not fit all. What works for one business may not necessarily work for your own. This fast paced industry requires meticulous research and planning to ensure a strong strategy is in place when you carry out an online marketing campaign.
Scott Kennedy Google+
