Social Platforms

Social Media. Millions have joined, and few have tried to resist.. but with the way the world is heading these days people are almost being forced to join the social revolution. Some people join every possible social network while others stick to the basics like Facebook and Twitter.

When it comes to business and brand awareness, there are some obvious crucial players- Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (for recruiting purposes).  These social media top dogs are probably the most well known for individuals as well as brands; however, there are other platforms out in the webby world that are fantastic for brands.

1. Pinterest-

 

Pinterest is vastly growing for individuals (especially college-aged girls) everywhere. It's layout appeals to the user visually and features a series of photos that users can "re-pin" onto their own pinboards. It is essentially just personal curation of content. 

Pinterest can be used for brands, believe it or not. Many brands have found it to be extremely successful, with tons of traffic leading back to their sites. Brands like West Elm, Starbucks, and Uniqlo have found creative ways to engage users and spread content throughout the Pinterest world.

2. Spotify-

 

Spotify isn't usually the first social platform one thinks of when considering brand awareness. Truthfully, it isn't even one most people even think of when they think of the words "social platform." Spotify is becoming a big competitor with Pandora for discovering music. The plus side to Spotify over Pandora is that users can interact with their friends and see what they are currently listening to. They can also listen to any song they want, whenever they want. 

Brands can use Spotify by creating shareable playlists to share with customers and users. It also gives a personal feel to a brand seeing that they share music. It may not be the best platform to direct traffic back to a site, but it's great for brand awareness. 

3. Instagram

 

 Ahh, Instagram. The ridiculously-fast growing app for iPhone and Android devices where users can take and share photos while adding filters. Instagram has reached millions of users who religiously check their "instafeed" every single day.

Instagram gives brands the chance to get a little more personal with their fans. They can share office insights, previews of new products/services, and pretty much anything they want. Starbucks has 1.08 million followers with almost 36,000 likes on a single photo of a coffee cup shadow. It's a bit more of an informal way to communicate with followers and brands can do so much with the platform.

Those are just a few ideas of different options to try rather than the typical Facebook and Twitter. Social Media is the new Public Relations tool and every brand should jump on board or watch themselves sink.

readings-

 http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/top-social-media-sites-how-you-can-benefit-from-them/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2012/10/31/6-ways-brands-build-trust-through-social-media/