Overview of social media platforms
1. Instagram
Instagram is a photo sharing social networking where users share images or video content. Users can upload their own images or choose from those shared by others, add text captions and comment on others’ posts. Instagram was purchased by Facebook in April 2012.
2. Twitter
Twitter is a microblogging service where registered members post and interact via short messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts consisting of up to 140. Users can follow others to receive updates about what they say. Twitter became profitable in October 2009. In July 2014, Twitter reported approximately 328 million monthly active users and over half of U.S. adults use the site. As of September 2018, Twitter’s user base surpassed 400 million daily active users.
3. YouTube
YouTube is an online platform that enables its users to upload and watch videos. Registered users have the option to create channels that allow them to organize videos by topic or category. Content is either uploaded by users or companies. Videos may be monetized either by placing ads inside the videos, overlaying advertisements on top of videos, or using sponsored videos. YouTube began as a way for people to upload MP3 files containing audio recordings of lectures they had attended, and enabled viewers to leave comments and suggestions. Since then, YouTube has evolved into a multimedia website featuring billions of videos created by individuals and businesses alike. In 2016, it was revealed that Google owned YouTube, while Microsoft owned Skype.
4. Pinterest
Pinterest is an image-centric social discovery website designed around visual search. Users generate collections of imagery based on themes such as travel destinations, decorating ideas, products, and recipes. These digital pinboards can be saved onto personal boards or publicly shared among networks of friends.
5. Snapchat
Snapchat is a smartphone app that allows its users to take photos or videos that disappear after being viewed once. Users draw stickers, filters and emojis on their snaps then share them instantly to followers. Snapchat earned $443 million in revenue in 2015.
6. Tumblr
Tumblr is a blogging and microblogging platform founded in 2007 by former PayPal employee David Karp. Users create blogs and blog entries that show up chronologically in reverse layout order of posting. Each blog entry can be composed of several types of media such as text, photos, art, links, and videos. Users are able to categorize posts into specific tags, and set privacy options that determine how visible each individual blog is to non-following visitors.
7. Vine
Vine is an American short video-sharing website owned by Twitter Inc., launched in June 2010 and headquartered in New York City. Vine provides both free and paid accounts; premium accounts enable users to access additional features such as customizing profile pages. Vine originally allowed only six seconds long videos, which were looped until a user stopped recording, but later added longer videos. Vine merged with Twitter in November 2013. On March 17, 2017, it was announced that Vine would shut down permanently on May 20, 2017.
8. Facebook
Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms today. It has over 400 million monthly active users. There are two ways to manage your Facebook page. You can either use a third-party application or do everything manually on your own.
Sharing social media content
Manual/DIY approach:
1. When you create a new post, you can choose between posting it immediately, scheduling it for later, or making it private.
2. If you share something publicly, you have the option to make it public or protected. If you choose to make it protected, people won’t be able to comment on it until they’re approved. If a comment or reply isn’t allowed, you’ll receive a notification about it and you’ll need to go back to change it.
3. If you want to delete a comment or remove a person’s name from your timeline, you can click the red trashcan icon.
4. When someone shares your page on their account, you get notified about it. Clicking the message icon gives you the option to respond to them.
5. If you decide to unfollow someone, you’ll no longer show up in anyone else’s newsfeed. However, if you unfollow someone without giving an explanation, it might take some time before they realize.
3rd party:
There are tons of applications available out there to help you manage your Facebook page. Here are just a few examples.
1. Buffer – The best way to schedule posts and automatically publish them at certain times of the day.
2. HootSuite – One of the best tools to organize your posts. You can set specific filters for different types of content and manage comments and replies efficiently.
3. Sprout Social – A great tool to manage your Facebook page and keep track of things like likes, comments, etc.
4. Crowdfire – Another great way to schedule posts and manage comments and likes.