On to Part 2 of Social Media 101! In Social Media – Part 1, I spoke about:
- Google +
- Tumblr
Now on to the final 5 in my series.
INSTAGRAM: First thing that comes to mind when I think of Instagram is beautiful pictures. That is how this social media platform started and still is today – and more. Businesses are harnessing the power of Instagram to reach new and current customers in a more “visual” way. We are seeing more and more Instagram posts with longer text descriptions, where the company has the ability to connect and interact on a more visual and verbal level. The recent ability to post video has also made Instagram a favorite.
PERISCOPE: Periscope was originally created to become “the closest thing to teleportation” (Periscope), and has quickly become one of the most popular social media video platforms today. Officially launched only 6 months ago when it was purchased by Twitter for reportedly $100 million, Periscope is a platform for streaming live video from anywhere in the world TO almost anywhere in the world. As a viewer you can comment on the video and “give hearts” to the ones you like. As the business streaming the video, you can track the users and comments and analyze who you are successfully reaching and what content resonates best with your viewers. Wired dubbed it as “consensual voyeurism” (Wired) and justly so. As a business, this is yet another way to connect to your target market in a more casual, interactive way.
VINE: Vine is a video-sharing app that gained popularity rather quickly after launching. Vine’s premise is the creation of a 6 second video that continuously loops. Using a mobile device, you touch the screen when you want the camera to record, which allows for stop-motion effects and more. Vine’s target market is 14 – 20, so if your customer is within that age range, this social media platform may work well for catching their attention.
SNAPCHAT: Snapchat allows you to share videos or still images with your friends (called a “snap”) BUT once it is viewed by the recipient, it disappears. You can type a message on your image, play around with different filters, and doodle on it. You can also create a “story”, which is a collaboration of snaps and lasts for longer than the 1 – 10 seconds of an individual snap. It can be watched over and over again for 24 hours, and then disappears. This social media platform is not only meant for snaps between friends. Their newest addition, Discover, allows you to view exclusive content from ESPN, Comedy Central, CNN and more.
STUMBLEUPON: StumbleUpon is a resource that allows you to find unique content across the Web. It also allows you to “stumble” and like content to share with others. Content marketers like StumbleUpon for its Paid Discovery system, enabling content to get out to the In 2013, StumbleUpon accounted for more publishing traffic than YouTube, Google, Reddit and and LinkedIn combined!
Is your brand set up with the proper social media presence? Interested in digging deeper in to the social media platforms? Contact DBP Marketing Solutions for a consultation!