Week 2: Overview of Social Media

I believe that we live in a time that personal use and business use is intertwined in all of the social media platforms. I feel like Facebook began with being geared toward personal use. Now, with ads, the marketplace, and algorithms, I see how businesses can really benefit from the use of it. I would have to say that I think twitter is the most personal-use platform out there. Since the messages are short and the timelines are mostly people tweeting each other, it has a much more personal-use feel. Tumblr is another platform that I feel is geared toward personal use. I don't have much experience on the site, but I do know that there aren't any dates on the posts, and I haven't seen many ads on that site.

Depending on the type of business, one platform may be better for you than others. The target market is also a huge thing to consider. For example, if I run a bakery and I create photo-worthy sweets, I would benefit from using Instagram. Especially if my customer base is full of people that love to take pics of their food and post about it. My Instagram could be full of professional pictures of my pastries; and I could share customers' photos as well, with their permission. With the use of hashtags and location I could drive more customers to my business after they see what I have to offer. On the other hand, if I owned a law firm and I wanted to use social media, I don’t think Instagram would be much help for attracting potential clientele. I believe Facebook would be the best option because with paid ads, and being able to choose the demographics, I could get my ads directly in front of the right crowd.

Ultimately, the type of business and its target market will decide which platform is best. As far as personal use goes, the way you like to share will help decide which platform is best for you. If you like to share photos, Instagram is great. From what I see, people don’t pay attention to the captions there. It’s all about the pictures. If you like to post longer videos and vlogs, YouTube is the place to be. It is a good idea to be available on many different platforms if you have a business. Since they all work differently and attract different types of people, you will have a wider reach if you utilize multiple platforms.