Social Network Solutions
In today’s world there are dozens of social networks clamoring for our attention, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Here is a breakdown of best practices for updating each network, and maximizing your marketing efforts
Facebook acts as a legacy network, as it remains the world’s largest social network, and contains the most diverse age range of today’s popular social media services. Use Facebook as a launchpad for branding, and take advantage of interfacing through Facebooks private message capabilities. Keep track of activity on your page by frequently visiting the Insights tab, and launch ad campaigns through their comprehensive ad network. While Facebook is almost 10 years old, it continues to innovate with new features, so do as much research as possible to keep on top of features, trends, and other ways to maximize your time on the network.
Twitter is king for one-on-one interactions with your community members, and for posting frequent updates without fatiguing your audience. Experiment with new content, and live-tweet at events to spread a constant brand voice for your company. Over time, Twitter will analyze your activity and grant you the “Verified” badge, which will further increase your visibility on the network. Twitter recently has increased the visibility for images uploaded directly to the service, and as such, many influencers have significantly increased their visual output on their feeds.
If Twitter is the voice, Instagram is the vision. Post high-contrast, striking visual content to this social network that celebrates your brand in an artistic, distinctive way. As a wholly owned company by Facebook, Instagram is steadily growing into a major network, and the video upload feature allows you to take your 15-second edited videos and upload them for viewers to share. Keep track of comments and mentions, and engage with your audience by providing excellent content and interaction.
Google+
Google’s own social network is widespread and growing, combining the front-facing visual approach of Instagram, and combining it with the feature-rich strengths of Facebook and Twitter. Use this network to display high-quality imagery, and engage with your audience by setting up Video Hangouts with your fans for Q&A’s and live events. Keep an eye on the visit number on your Profile Page, as this information will be useful in determining the popularity of your brand.
Vine
Twitter’s answer to Instagram, Vine makes it possible to create 6 second looping videos easily and seamlessly. This network is ideal for shorthand videos of live events, humorous posts, as well as stop motion. Take advantage of the simple yet robust featureset in the video shooting mode, and with the right content your brand may go viral.
As a specialized social network, Pinterest is especially appealing for it’s visual arts and crafts focus, as each post acts as a pin on a virtual board. Celebrate the variety of content that you have produced by creating boards pertaining to specialized aspects of your brand, such as Live Events, In The Studio, Behind The Scenes, and Inspiration. Interacting with fellow users through re-pinning is an exceptional way to garner a greater following.
Tumblr
Purchased by Yahoo in 2013, Tumblr is a blog-style social network that is an especially great place to upload a variety of content. Gifs, images, and videos all play seamlessly on the service, and quotes are highly popular fodder for audiencemembers. By reblogging influencers work, and engaging with fellow Tumblrs online, you’ll find yourself innovating with imaginative content that jumps a little more out of the box than other networks.
YouTube
The world’s #2 search engine, and a Google-owned company since 2005, YouTube is an indispensable partner for your brand’s creative arsenal. Use this site to upload high-quality videos on a consistent basis. Maximizing keywords, and studying the YouTube partner manual is an excellent way to refine your voice, and create a buzz around your enterprise. As you upload videos to YouTube, you’ll also unlock features including live-streaming. Use the Live-Streaming feature to capture events and activities, and point your users to ask questions during the live stream using Twitter.