Which Social Media Platform Should I Use?

LinkedIn is designed mostly for business purposes it allows individuals and businesses to connect with each other. For example, LinkedIn is designed to get your resume out to as many people and businesses as possible. Individuals searching for a job can ask others who are “linked in” for letters of recommendations, references, and so on and so forth. Its design is basic, but gives employers easy access to millions of resumes and information about possible future employees and provides individuals searching for a job to get noticed and possibly hired. LinkedIn attracts businesses who are in need of new employees and individuals who are in need of a job. The purpose of social networking sites is to stay connected with individuals you know, make new acquaintances and gain access to the world outside your own world. For example, movie stars, athletes, musicians, and celebrities all belong to either one or more of the “big four” social networking sites. The designs of these sites vary to attract and appeal to different market niches. “MySpace for example, has its origins for local bands to promote themselves and their music” (MySpace). The site is designed to attract music lovers and individuals who want to become closer to their favorite musicians, movie stars and “hero’s” “MySpace is still orientated toward the relationship between people and the media and people and celebrities” (Abram, Carolyn).

Twitter is the most basic of the four social sites. It allows users to “post up to 140 character messages” about what they are doing and what they plan to do (Twitter). Much like Facebook’s status message it is used for real-time information transmissions. It is mostly used by friends who want to share, interact and communicate privately whether if its to share websites, news, opinions or invitations to meet somewhere.

On the other hand Facebook’s design is more focused on entertainment, sharing, staying in touch and making new friends rather than job searching. Users can regulate how much of their profile is visible to the public and how much is restricted to friends and family. This allows for privacy and a sense of mystery, which ignites the innate human emotion of curiosity, which is addicting, because everyone wants to know what everyone else is up to. For example, Facebook allows users to post relationship status, birthday alerts and a host of other “useful” addicting utilities. Facebook is more popular, because it appeals to a larger range of users. Businessmen may use LinkedIn, music lovers may use MySpace and simpletons may use Twitter, but almost everyone uses Facebook. It provides a larger range of apps, utilities and contacts. It combines the features of the other three social networking sites such as, Twitters status messages, MySpace’s celebrities and LinkedIn’s business contacts. Facebook is addictive and has an ever-changing environment.

References

Abram Carolyn “Knowing the Difference between Facebook and other social networking sites” Dummies.biz np. Nd. 21^st November 2012