Week 2A: My Opinion of Social Media

Initial Thoughts and Overview

First off, know that social media is not a natural thing for me personally. I am a very private person and I dislike writing very much. I do not use or enjoy social media in my personal life. Thus, I will admit, I am pretty ignorant in the world of social media and that is a problem.

However, I do see advantages to it on a business and personal level. It is a great way to keep families and friends connected. One can also catch up with and find long lost friends and family. Also, it takes away the drudgery of sharing events and pictures with multiple individuals. 

On a business level it is an opportunity to reach and showcase to a much wider audience than traditional means. More importantly social media provides the opportunity to reach the right audience, the target market. It also allows some free marketing. It allows a company to create tribalism for there brand. Social media can also be a place to test concepts and get imperative reviews and feedback. 

Individual Platform Use

My best guess is that snapchat is the best social media platform for personal use. Although, I have never actually used it. However, the concept seems particularly personal and I have not heard it referenced often as a tool for business.

LinkedIn is the social media platform I most associate with professionalism. It seems to be designed around presenting, experience, career history, education and networking. Although a great business network, I am guessing this is not the best platform reaching the customer audience. 

I believe the right platform may very much depend on the service or product the business offers and their target market. Although, some presence in multiple platforms may be best. It seems that no matter what or how big the business is, it really has no web presence if it does not have a Facebook site. A business that offers something that relies heavily on visual appeal might also find that Instagram or Pinterest might be fitting platforms. A business that is very information based and needs to keep it's audience up to date, more so than average may find Twitter to be the more appropriate platform. I hope to find out if a combination of the platforms is vital or just utilizing one would be sufficient for a business. 

If a statement I have made is incorrect or am confused clearly confused on a matter pertaining to social media  please comment and let me know! I welcome all feedback and am here to learn, improve and contribute to the best of my ability.