There are new social media apps popping up faster than your Twitter / X feed during a celebrity scandal (
here's looking at you, Joe and Sophie).
It's imperative to know
what social media platforms you should use,
what you should use them for and
why you should use them.
Scroll on as media update's Saads Abrahams spills the tea on all things social media.
Facebook
The OG social media platform. The one that
changed the game of connecting with friends and family and then shifted to
connecting with companies, brands and celebrities.
While the younger demographic is not particularly active on this social media platform, it still has about
three billion active users.
Facebook is a great platform to use if your
goal is to:
- stay in touch with other people
- start engaging in conversations
- create fun and interesting content, and
- create an online social community.
via GIPHY
Instagram
Out of all the social media platforms, Instagram had the
biggest glow-up of them all. It started as an
image-sharing app for iPhones only. It then grew to a photo and video-sharing platform, and it now has features such as going live or 24-hour stories.
Instagram has roughly
2.3 billion active users and is increasingly popular with millennials and Gen Z's. This social platform is also boasting a great mix of personal and business.
You should use Instagram if your
goal is to:
- reach an audience in the teen to under 40s age range
- form personal connections with your audiences
- create visually appealing content, and
- showcase your products or services.
via GIPHY
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is probably one of the few platforms that people tend to forget is a social media platform. It's a platform
created for professionals to connect with like-minded professionals, and it is a job-hunting platform.
With about
930 million users, LinkedIn has solidified itself as a top-tier professional networking site that businesses and individuals can use to get their name out there!
LinkedIn is perfect for you if your
goal is to:
- connect with other businesses and brands
- keep track of what competitors are doing
- make professional connections, and
- market your brand.
via GIPHY
X / Twitter
After being bought by Elon Musk, Twitter has been
rebranded to 'X'. But it is mostly still referred to as Twitter (
for now). The reason X has stood out from the rest of the social media platforms is because of the fast nature in which information is shared on it.
There is a
character limit, which means the information that is shared across the platform needs to be
precise and to the point. Having roughly
556 million active users, X is by no means a small social media network.
This is the platform for you if your
goal is to:
- stay informed on the latest news and trends
- listen to and share opinions, as well as
- share a variety of different content (videos, pictures, polls and discussion threads).
via GIPHY
Pinterest
As a creative person, this is probably my personal favourite social media app (
probably because I'm a Virgo, but we digress). Pinterest is a very cool social media network that lets users
share ideas across their page on things that interest them. You are also able to
"pin it" to your own personal boards.
With about
463 million active users, with the
majority of them being female, this social media platform is perfect for you if your
goal is to:
- share ideas, recipes, DIY and quotes
- look for inspiration, and
- create shareable content.
via GIPHY
TikTok
The
crème de la crème for the younger generation! TikTok is the social media platform that took the social world by storm.
All of a sudden, you could
go viral without a huge following, and people can spend hours and hours scrolling through the app with
constant new videos. Its
unmatched algorithm gives you content that is tailored to your interests.
With approximately
1.1 billion active users, TikTok is no longer considered the new kid on the block. This app gives you everything from the
news to education to pure unadulterated entertainment.
This is the platform for you if:
- you want to create short video content
- go viral
- connect with like-minded individuals, and
- create entertaining content to get engagement.
via GIPHY
Honourable mentions
There are
countless other social media platforms that are around for your business and your pleasure! So let's take a peep, shall we?
- Youtube: This is a video-only platform that is great for sharing long-form video content.
- WhatsApp: The app is one of the biggest instant messaging apps that you can use to connect with people all around the world.
- SnapChat: It is a short-form video and image-sharing app used mostly for entertainment purposes.
- Reddit: This is a social networking app that can help you stay updated on the latest news and trends. It has a cool mix of community and content.
via GIPHY
What is your favourite social media platform? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva