Week 2A: Social media for what?

I myself have been around he social media game since the beginning, Myspace. One of the first social media platforms to make it big that almost everyone ( at least from my generation) had to be on. Although I don't particularly remember using it that much, I do remember it was mainly geared towards personal use. You had a friends list with a top ten, which you used to rate your friends and figure out who you're true friends are. Because lets face it, if you're not top ten material, we might as well not be friends. Besides ending many friendships, Myspace was all about adding your own personal flare to your page. You could add background music, change background screens, color schemes, etc. which are all things based around personal preference. On Myspace you could post almost anything with little to no filter and not worry about it getting taken down which has definitely changed with more modern platforms. Since Myspace we've had the introduction of  social media juggernauts such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which at their conception were geared towards personal use but have since then evolved. The only other social media platform that I can think of that is geared mainly towards personal use is Snapchat. Although there are businesses that choose to have a presence on Snapchat, I feel their efforts would be more rewarded on other platforms such as Instagram. Personally, I've never used Snapchat as a means to keep up with my favorite brands or businesses, I Would much rather use the gram for that. Instead I use Snapchat as a more interactive way to keep up with all my friends. I mean why would you text or call your best friend when you could just as easily send them a 15 second video with a hilarious face filter that also makes you sound like a chipmunk. It's a no brainer. You can also create a bitmoji  which is essentially an avatar you use as a digital representation of yourself on Snapchat. I also find myself messaging on Snapchat more than I use regular texting. I have a couple group chats that include all friends and I find using those is much more satisfying that sending a plain ole text. Overall, all of the functionalities that Snapchat offers leads me to strongly believe that this platform is more suited for personal use.

As far as being geared mainly towards business, the only platform I know of is LinkedIn. Now I have personally never used this platform but have discussed the quality and functionality of this platform with people who have. LinkedIn is the online equivalent to old fashion networking. Being able to find and connect with different professionals/Businesses from different backgrounds all over the world is what this platform is all about. Like any savvy business person would tell you, it's not about what you know, it's about who you know. People who mainly use this platform are usually businesses (especially b2b service providers), recruiters, and job seekers. You can usually find job-postings, company descriptions, and employee/employer research amongst the things being shared on this platform.

Now the big question, which platforms can do both? I think the prime examples are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I could honestly write a five page essay of how each can be used in both interest but for my sake and yours, I'll try and keep this short, sweet, and stick to what I know. I myself have an Instagram that I use frequently to post my photography. I treat my profile as if it were my mini portfolio, posting samples of my work for others to see with the intention of growing my brand and expanding my audience. Now I try and keep sharing personal artifacts to a minimum to retain a certain professionalism on my profile but I could easily do the opposite. Instagram in my personal opinion is one of the most flexible social media platforms out there right now. Allowing the users to mend the platform to fit their needs whether that be for personal use or for business use. Instagram also allows for the users to create a business account which allows you to track account growth, views, average likes per post, engagement, and a whole lot more. You can even pay to sponsor a post in order for it to reach more users and if your really desperate you can buy more followers for yourself.

Overall, in this day and age Social media is becoming the one stop for all to find anything and everything your heart desires. Whether that be cute animal pictures, or finding a career, its all at your finger tips.