Social Media – A Biz at your Service

I bet you are already (too) familiar with this controversial topic so I will not go into undue detail.  Surely I wouldn’t exclude that you are aware about the bulk load of social media platforms we have around the www.

The term Social Media is a broad one.  Some defines it as Social Networking, but chances are that one day this will be termed as ‘SOCIAL BUSINESS’.  Recently I had a seminar with Dr Jim Hamill (Scotland), a leading expert on Web 2.0 and Social Media besides being the director of Energise 2-0.  The seminar that I had dealt with Customer Management and Social Media or better – social business (in his terminology) which I do agree with!

I still remember the glorious days concerning the rise of MySpace followed by the ever growing popularity of Facebook and Twitter.  I do miss these old days and the good old MySpace.  I gotta admit that I used to make plenty of cash here and there by customizing profiles for bands and musicians, but these days are gone heh (jokingly).

That led me to recall the movie by Adam Sandler entitled ‘Funny People’.  Apart from the good laughs, the movie was a promotion for MySpace (indeed Mr. Tom took part in it) plus an anti-Facebook campaign (e.g. F**k Facebook, in the Face).

I do admit that I am quite a superstitious person, a traditionalist and believer of the ‘olde ways’.  While watching this movie I sensed the decline of MySpace simply because of these funny insults (man, you gotta be kidding), and obviously up to my knowledge, Facebook stood silent (am I right or wrong?).  Anyway, my motto is ‘justice is all about balance’, and indeed balance had been restored long ago – and Facebook made the Social Media as we know it (oh yes, including their stocks and shares of course).

In this little article I will mention few Social Media platforms I truly believe in their (commercial) worthiness:

Facebook – I don’t need to go into details.  It is the biggest and most popular social media around, and it will stay there for quite a while.  In other words, it is the biggest database of potential customers.

Twitter – A great platform for instant messaging (micro-blogging), perfect for mobile devices or for those who are against all the fluff and features.  Indeed, Twitter is an easy-to-use platform.

YouTube – Like Facebook, I don’t need to go into further details.  Surely it is one of the most accessed websites and people have the chance of promoting their talents, services and products.

Linkedin – A great platform for business owners, professionals, hirers and job hunters.  Apart from having a profile with all your employment/educational achievements, you can also create a company’s page, which can be easily retrieved by other professionals around the network.  Moreover, if you are up to make contacts with other professionals, there are various groups segmented by topic, industry and specialty.  If you are seeking contacts (to boost further your business), Linkedin is the answer.

Digg – In a way, it is like Twitter, but there is a major difference.  Although you can post links, you have the facility to target different segments (termed as ‘newsroom’) such as – business, entertainment, politics, etc.  Followers falling under one category will receive and view your post.  Isn’t that cool?  Yes, because you can generate plenty of leads towards your site, especially if you have something cool to sell.

Google+ – Oh yes, they are growing like crazy and no wonder!  I strongly believe that it will be almost head to head with Facebook.  In a nutshell – make sure you create a profile.

LiveJournal – The name explains it!  Are you an article writer?  Why not to showcase your knowledge around the net?  With LiveJournal you can place your articles dealing with any kind of topics for further exposure.  Yes, another good way of making contacts.

Pinterest – Maybe this social network is not entirely old, but not new either.  If you have a portfolio of designs, products, photos and any other sort of visuals, this platform is right for you.  Moreover, it is said that it helps your site in getting rankings (PR) especially because Google is giving importance towards image searches.  Do you have something to showcase?  So go now and request an invitation to join the ever growing community.

Although there are loads of social platforms, I simply covered the most important ones that can help in exposing your business and talents by reaching and targeting a wider audience.