An Overview of Your Social Networking Options

Social Media can be likened to vampires in the media. Both are loved by teenage girls, and like vampire characters, it seems like there are now too many social medias to keep track of. Just like you don't have to read Twilight to know that it's lame, it's also unnecessary to have your business involved with every social media out there. Although, there are several social media sites that can be utilized as part of a valuable marketing strategy.

Every social media site comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Many are designed for personal use, but can also be adopted for business. When it comes down to it, social media is a wonderful free resource that can help spread your message. Utilizing as many social media resources as you have time and patience for is a solid marketing strategy. To get you started, here is a list of the top 5 social media sites; you will want to understand each one before building a company profile.

Facebook: 1,000,000,000+ users
The current king of social media, Facebook launched in 2006 and surpassed 1 billion active users in 2012. Facebook has expanded from a network of college students to a regular virtual marketplace where people can socialize and businesses can advertise. If the message of your business can break through the cluttlered newsfeeds of Facebook, then it would be well worth your efforts. Facebook has several marketing tools to help you do this, letting you target your advertising by geography, age groups, time of day, and more.

Twitter: 500,000,000+ users
Twitter was also launched in 2006 and its unique formula involves short messages sent primarily to and by smartphones. Twitter's simplicity makes it a lighter social media experience than Facebook, and many businesses use Twitter to send followers short announcements and promotions.

Google+: 400,000,000+ users
Google+ is not Google's first attempt at social media, but it is definitely their strongest showing so far. Launched in January of 2012, Google+ is still relatively young compared to its counterparts, but it is gaining quite a following by incorporating many of Google's free apps and features. While the number of users may be too low to rush out and get yourself an account by the end of the day, it will be a smart move to get on board early seeing as Google + has a strong potential to be a serious contender to Facebook.

LinkedIn: 160,000,000+ users
Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is designed primarily as a social networking tool for businesses. This is a great way to interact with other professionals to maybe find a new hire or seek out new resources. LinkedIn also has the potential to replace the Yellow Pages, although users tend to be limited to working professionals.

MySpace: 25,000,000+ users
The former king of social media, MySpace began to lose relevancy about halfway through the 2000's. MySpace has recently undergone a major face-lift and marketing campaign in an effort to win back users. MySpace promises to be a great resource is you want to follow the latest music news, but it might be worth skipping out on from a business perspective until more users reactivate their old accounts.

If you have the time to scope out the dozens of other social media sites, it might be well worth it to help your company to get your message out. Many industries are even developing their own social networks that may lack 1 billion users, but will provide you with a great way to network with other businesses in your field.

Setting up your business with social media can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with the intricacies of each one. Computerware can help you by recommending the best social media tools for your business. To learn more about social media and using technology for marketing, call Computerware at (703) 821-8200; we will work hard to make technology work for you!