Knowing what and which social medias to use can make you a successful marketer of your particular business. But, as you know, not all social medias are the same or have the same purpose.
I recent discovered an interesting way to look at each different social networks from Amanda MacArthur as posted in her article:
Social Media for Magazines
Twitter is the bar. You talk to everyone and anyone. You have a few too many and you’re telling people your life story. More importantly, other people are there, like you, to meet people and build new relationships. Some people talk too much and don’t listen, others listen well but might not talk as much. Either way, there’s a revolving captive audience and there are relationships developing in the bar. As a business, you should know that there’s a lot of chatter to keep up with, but so many different ways to become everyone’s best friend.
Imagining Twitter as a bar made me laugh out loud! But the definition is too true — it is a bunch of strangers telling each other their life story — 140 characters at a time!
Facebook is indeed like your living room. You don’t invite everyone from the bar to your living room, however you might have hung out with a couple of your new bar friends at a more sobering place and have become comfortable with inviting them to your living room. When you’re a business on Facebook, you need to remember that you’re still kind of that bar person—the one they don’t necessarily invite into their living room. However, if you brought some good brownies (a sale) or beer (discounts) they might let you in to stay as long as you don’t creep out everyone else.
Once again, too true! Facebook is definitely more intimate that Twitter and we are inclined to offer sales and specials on Facebook — mostly to entice readers to check out our website or sign up for our email list.
LinkedIn is sort of like the local chamber of commerce, however I like to think of it more like a conference too. Everyone on LinkedIn is on it for a professional reason, whether they’re looking for a job, trying to establish themselves as an expert in LinkedIn Answers, or build a bigger network. As businesses, we should recognize that the bulk of people on LinkedIn are business people and don’t go to LinkedIn to find deals like they do Twitter and Facebook. If you’re a B2B publisher, this is great news and makes your updates and group interactions very easy. If you’re a consumer magazine it just means your best efforts are likely spent elsewhere.
LinkedIn is my sweet spot — mostly, because like the definition says, I am a B2B (business to business) publisher and consultant. And, yes, LinkedIn is a bit like a chamber of commerce where local business folks hang together.
Google+ is like the party you got invited to, but you’re pretty much the only one that showed up. You’re there for the good karma (SEO) and because you can’t really leave (Google is watching you!) It’s awkward, and nobody laughs at your jokes. And everybody is wondering why they came how they can figure out an excuse to run out the front door without looking like a jerk.
Another definition that made me laugh out loud — mostly for the truism in the statement. We are on Google+ because, after all, we are suppose to be. But what do we do when we get there? I don’t know, do you??
Pinterest is a like a baby shower, and that’s fairly accurate because 92% of pins on Pinterest are created or shared by women. This is where people come together to display their craft projects and recipes. Everybody oggles each other’s fun ideas and relentlessly share them with one another.
Wow! I had never thought of Pinterest that way, but it is true: Most of us on Pinterest are women who are sharing our projects, our recipes, poems, inspiration notes and just plain things that we like. For us ‘older’ women, I guess it could also be described as a Red Hat or church ladies group!!
YouTube is like a night out at karaoke. The person on stage is the star and you can’t look away even if you want to. YouTube videos offer instant authority, regardless of the quality of the video. In the same respect, you have to love a person who gets up and sing, regardless of whether they’re a Whitney Houston or a Rebecca Black. Song choice is what counts – everyone loves to sing along. The same goes for content – it’s what you say that matters.
Outstanding! YouTube is the internet’s night out with karaoke! And yes, don’t we all love YouTube and watching those interesting and sometimes funny videos — doubting that we would ever have the nerve to do something like that ourselves!
So how about you? Where do you fit in best with these social network definitions. Or are you a bar person looking to connect on LinkedIn and need to rethink your strategies?