There is so much out there on each of the social media sites, that often times the line between them can become blurred.  After all, some would say, aren’t they all the same?  The question to this is a resounding now!  Each of these platforms is designed and aimed at a different audience.  If I said something along the lines of, “let’s go to a bar for drinks!” versus, “let’s go to Mc Donald’s for drinks!”  you wouldn’t question that there’s a resounding difference between a bar and Mc Donald’s, the same is true for social media.

 

Your Audience!

Your audience is always going to be the fundamental difference in all of the social media sites.  Linked In is a site that’s designed for B2B, but has recently had a major controversy stirred up by one of the business owners on it.  Candice Galek ran a campaign asking if a swimsuit with the girls rear-end hanging out was appropriate for LinkedIn.  Some said yes, some said no.  The end result was that it was the ad was pulled down and she reaped 36,000 new followers and that particular ad was viewed more than 50,000 times.

Regardless if you agree or disagree Candice got her name out there and her followers are high on most anyone’s account.  She got publicity by asking a simple question that was sheer genius.  What made it ‘ok’ for her to put such a picture up while others can’t?  The answer is simple, her company is BikiniLuxe.  Therefore, to advertise bikini’s by showing pictures of girls in bikini’s is consider ok.

Death And Religion

Does it make sense to post something about death and religion?  That again is a good question depending on where you are posting it and what is the business that you’re working in.  If your company is a funeral home, mortuary or some other business that deals with death, then it makes perfect since.

The same is true for those that deal or work in the area of Religion.  If it’s your business then it’s ok to be posting on forums such as Linked In about  your business and the topics that concern it.  If however, it’s not your business, there are better forums than Linked In to be discussing such topics.  You can choose places like Twitter and Facebook to handle such details.  Those forums are designed for the personal user and the business that comes along with a personal account.

Part of the advantage to and with Twitter is the fact that you can only make brief snippets in a conversation.  You are limited to 140 characters and everything you’re going to say has to be done in that amount of characters that are available.  The other advantage to using Facebook and Twitter type websites, is that if you don’t like what someone thinks or believes, you’re free to terminate the ‘friendship’ and no one will know the difference.  These type of channels are based on a ‘friendship’ format as opposed to business.

Sites!

Take a look at the sites that you’re considering and see what fits the needs that you have.  There are sites out there that will allow for you to post most anything and theirs no problem with that.  Other’s will request that you label the material that your posting for, such as ‘work friendly’ or not.   You are still able to use the site, you just have to put your product in the correct viewing area.  If you’re a photographer and looking for those platforms, they’re out there.

Take the time to research your needs and the platforms that fit them, then you and everyone else will be satisfied.