What social media platform do you love the most? Most people at least have an account in one or more of the many social media accounts. Facebook is among the most common. However, people are now preferring others depending on what it offers. Millions of people are on social media every day, and there is a lot to learn, entertain and watch out for as you use the various platforms. Plus, you can grow a following from the various networking sites. You can have TikTok followers, Instagram followers, and many Facebook friends, among many others. Below are the different types of social media platforms and how you can use them for business to gain a wider audience.

 

1. Social networking sites

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are common social networking sites. In these platforms, you connect with family, friends, and brands. They are about human-to-human interaction and encourage knowledge sharing. Also, on these platforms, you curate content, share thoughts, form groups of the same interest and upload photos and videos. It is built around the user, their social circle, and any other important thing to them. Social networking sites help grow your business by reaching a target audience through adverts and networking by engaging with potential business partners, customers, and followers. Also, they are great platforms to dig up research on customers to serve them better.

 

2. Image sharing sites

Visual content such as infographics, images, and illustrations captures our eyes, hearts, and imaginations. Social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram amplify the power of image sharing. Users of the platform curate, create, and share many images to speak for themselves and spark conversation. Therefore, use these sites to encourage user-generated content. For instance, you can run a campaign with the users and encourage them to take pictures and share them with your product with a specific hashtag. Also, you can create inspiration through the same and bond over a shared interest.

 

3. Community blogs

In some cases, a post or an image is not strong enough to send the message you want to share. Plus, not everyone wants to run a blog on their websites, for it can be a lot of work. Therefore, sharing blogging platforms like Tumblr and Medium give a platform to connect with readers and express their thoughts. The blog sites are ideal and create a room for self-expression. The blogs are handy to develop your voice and share, repost, repurpose and repost older content to share it with a new audience.

 

4. Social review sites

The first thing people do when they buy a new product or plan a trip is to check the reviews. Some of the review sites include Trip Advisor and Yelp. Here you see reviews from community members for different experiences and locations. In this way, there is no guesswork while booking your trip or while using a product. Also, a business can benefit from studying their business reviews, whether it is good or bad. Plus, you can solve problems by engaging with reviewers and understanding their perspectives. And it will help you know where to improve in your business.

 

5. Video hosting sites

The way we think, create and watch videos is different now with YouTube. It made the medium something accessible. The video hosting platforms help put things together and share them on the platform for streaming. Thus, because of the accessibility, it makes video a vital medium. Use the video hosting sites to share phenomenal content and engage with your followers.

6. Discussion sites

Heated discussions happen on Facebook, but Quora and Reddit are discussion sites that spark a conversation. Anyone can make a statement there or ask a question, and it attracts curiosity and interest from various people. This platform helps your business in research, and you can engage people in your field as the sites consist of different sub-communities. Thus, things you learn from these sites are a start point for your marketing strategy. Another way you can use the platform to boost your business is to answer questions. For instance, on Quora, the users ask many questions. So, answering them helps establish you as a leader, and it will give more traffic to your site.