Types of Social Media and Their Uses for Businesses

The Different Types of Social Media

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Social media has become an integral part of modern communication, shaping the way individuals and businesses interact online. With multiple platforms available, each catering to different audiences and content styles, understanding their unique features and best practices can help you make the most of your online presence. This guide explores the most popular social media platforms, their user demographics, security concerns, and how businesses can effectively utilize them.

Jump to: Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Pinterest • YouTube • LinkedIn • TikTok

Facebook – Share Anything (and Everything)

Facebook, originally created in 2004 as a platform to rate Harvard students’ appearances, has since evolved into a global social media giant. Today, users range from businesses and celebrities to pets and even the deceased. Facebook offers various features, including Marketplace, Events, News, Groups, Messenger, Friends Nearby, and Dating. Users share content such as text, videos, pictures, and website articles.

Setting Up a Facebook Account

Users can choose between a public profile, where posts are visible to anyone, or a private profile, where only approved friends can see shared content. If you enjoy sharing every aspect of your life, Facebook is the platform to do so—whether it’s selfies, job promotions, or family dinners. However, remember that even private posts can be shared beyond your network, and Facebook retains ownership rights over uploaded content.

In 2016, Facebook expanded its Like button to include reactions such as Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry. In 2020, the “Care” reaction was introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Facebook is a great place to connect with family and friends, it’s also a space where personal agendas are frequently pushed.

Check out our recent blog post on a newer Facebook scam to stay informed!

Security Concerns for Facebook Users

Facebook has long been scrutinized for tracking user activity and collecting data. If you’re logged into Facebook, the platform monitors the websites you visit. Regularly updating your privacy settings is crucial, as automatic updates may alter your data-sharing preferences. The first thing you should do is make sure your friend list is set to only show to your friends so hackers do not impersonate you to your friends.

Additionally, Facebook is home to shady pages selling questionable content, and bots or scammers may attempt to contact you. Staying vigilant is key.

Facebook’s User Demographics

Younger users (under 35) are shifting to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, leaving Facebook with an older user base.

Business Use of Facebook

Facebook is ideal for posting brand updates and event promotions. If your business has an upcoming sale, Facebook is a great place to advertise it.

Instagram – Look at Me

Instagram is a free photo and video-sharing app available on iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Unlike its website version, posting on Instagram requires the mobile app. Users share pictures, videos, and live streams, often accompanied by hashtags to categorize content (e.g., #dogsofinstagram, #michigan, #outdoorlife).

Using Instagram

Like other platforms, users follow each other to see shared content. Private accounts restrict access to approved followers, though screenshots can still circulate your posts beyond your intended audience.

Instagram allows integration with Facebook, enabling cross-platform posting.

Security Concerns

Public Instagram accounts may receive unwanted messages and comments. Adjusting privacy settings can help minimize this.

Instagram’s User Demographics

Instagram is popular among users under 40, with influencers often promoting products and services. Businesses increasingly leverage Instagram Live for engagement.

Business Use of Instagram

If your business is visually oriented, Instagram is a powerful tool. Text takes a backseat to high-quality imagery and videos.

X (Formerly Twitter) – Make a Statement

Twitter is a fast-paced platform where users share text-based updates, images, and videos. It attracts businesses, individuals, and a fair share of internet trolls.

Using Twitter

Users follow accounts for updates and interact through comments, likes, and retweets. Twitter’s direct message feature allows private conversations.

Security Concerns

Scammers, particularly in cryptocurrency schemes, are prevalent. Be cautious when engaging with unfamiliar accounts.

Twitter’s User Demographics

Twitter is popular among millennials, favoring quick, concise content over lengthy posts.

Business Use of Twitter

Businesses use Twitter for real-time updates, industry discussions, and customer engagement. While Facebook is better for event promotion, Twitter can serve as a secondary platform for sharing event links.

Pinterest – Here’s What I Design

Pinterest allows users to create visual boards by “pinning” images and articles. It’s a hub for craft ideas, recipes, fashion inspiration, and party planning.

Using Pinterest

Users follow accounts, comment on posts, and re-pin content. Hashtags help categorize pins.

Security Concerns

Aside from general online scams, Pinterest has minimal security risks.

Pinterest’s User Demographics

Pinterest is especially popular among women, particularly teens and millennials.

Business Use of Pinterest

Pinterest is highly visual. Businesses should focus on posting engaging images rather than text-heavy content. For example, a bath remodeling company should showcase completed projects instead of posting lengthy articles.

YouTube – Watch Me

YouTube is a video-sharing platform with diverse content, from DIY tutorials to entertainment. Businesses can host channels or advertise through video ads.

Using YouTube

Users can follow channels, comment on videos, and engage via YouTube Live. Parents should be aware that YouTube’s suggested videos may not always be appropriate for children.

Security Concerns Using Youtube

Misinformation and inappropriate content can sometimes appear in recommendations. YouTube Kids offers a more controlled experience for children.

YouTube’s User Demographics

Teenagers and millennials dominate YouTube’s audience.

Business Use of YouTube

Businesses can upload tutorials, product showcases, and behind-the-scenes content to engage their audience.

LinkedIn – A Networking Event

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used for job searching, industry news, and business connections.

Using LinkedIn

Users create professional profiles, connect with colleagues, and engage with industry-related content. Employers post job listings, and professionals showcase career achievements.

Security Concerns

Users seeking new job opportunities should be aware that their employers can see profile changes, which may affect job security.

LinkedIn’s User Demographics

LinkedIn primarily caters to professionals and job seekers.

Business Use of LinkedIn

Businesses use LinkedIn for hiring, networking, and industry thought leadership. Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn is not ideal for casual content.

TikTok – 15 Seconds of Fame

TikTok is a short-form video platform featuring quick, engaging content. Originally focused on music videos, TikTok now covers a wide range of topics, from humor to celebrity content.

Using TikTok

Videos are tailored to user interests through an AI-driven feed. Hashtags are commonly used for discoverability.

Security Concerns

TikTok’s young user base makes parental supervision essential. The platform’s algorithm can also lead users into content rabbit holes.

TikTok’s User Demographics

TikTok is most popular among users aged 16 to 24.

Business Use of TikTok

Brands leverage TikTok through influencer marketing and viral content strategies.

Conclusion

If you have children, monitor their social media usage closely. Regardless of the platform, staying informed about security risks and privacy settings is crucial. Social media can be a powerful tool for both individuals and businesses, but awareness is key to safe and effective engagement.

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Social Media After Death

Blog, Social Media0

Social Media After DeathAs of this year, at least 2.34 billion people worldwide are social media users. In the United States alone, 79% of people have a social media profile. Something we don’t really think about when signing up for these accounts is what will happen to them when we pass away. Should we write your passwords down somewhere? Can someone gain access to them after we’re gone? What happens to your social media after death? It is reported that around 8,000 Facebook users die every day. It’s important that policies and protocols are put into place.

Facebook & Instagram

Facebook and Instagram are the only major social media platforms that “memorialize” your account.

Memorialized Facebook

With Facebook, you can set up a “legacy contact”. This is the person who will manage your account after you’re gone. To set up your legacy contact, go into your Facebook general settings and select Manage Account and choose the person to take this role. As seen in this screenshot, the person you choose to be your legacy contact will not be able to post as you or read your messages. If you don’t want to have a legacy contact, you can also request for your account to be deleted when the time comes. To request for an account to be memorialized, contact Facebook here.

Instagram does things a little bit different. There is no legacy contact that can manage your account for you when you die. Once a family or friend sends a report and the account is memorialized, it appears mostly the same. However, the account will not show up as a recommendation anywhere on the app (such as in the explore section). Nothing can be deleted or changed on the account after it is memorialized.

Other Platforms

For most other social media platforms (including Twitter), there are no memorialized profiles, therefore a family member has to request the removal of a deceased user’s account. In general, social media platforms will never give login details to anyone but the account owner, even immediate family members. This would violate most terms of service. If you want someone to have full access to your social media, it may be smart for you to put this in writing with something like a digital will. This will hand over ownership of your accounts after you pass away. This helps avoid violating any terms of service.

Computers and Devices

That great password you’ve set up on your computer or device to keep others out will do just that after your death. As a rule, device manufacturers will not grant access to others to get around your pass codes and passwords. Keep in mind many of your online accounts also have 2-factor authentication too. Banks and other service providers are happy to work with whoever holds your power of attorney posthumously, but email accounts and other online accounts will need to be accessed with the information you leave in your digital will.

Though it may be odd, it is important to have a plan for what happens to your social media and online accounts after death. Set up your legacy contact on Facebook today. Also, inform your friends and family by sharing this with them! Subscribe to our bi-weekly e-newsletter for more helpful information like this!

 

Business Social Media

Maintaining Your Company’s Social Media

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Business Social Media

Being active on social media is almost required to run a successful business these days. We also know that it can be difficult to gain and maintain an active following. This is why it is extremely important to make sure you create and approach your social media accounts in a professional manner.

Creating Business Social Media Accounts

One of the most important things to do when creating profiles for your business is to use a business email address (for example: marketing@companyname.com). Do not allow an employee to use their own email when setting up social media accounts. We’ve seen companies let go of employees and lose access to accounts because they hadn’t been set up using a business-owned email address.

Employee retaliation can even result in the account being deleted with no option for recovery. This means you would lose access to the audience you worked so hard to build up. You’ll have to start all over which can be a large waste of time and money. Make sure to use a company email and keep track of your passwords!

Posting to Your Business Social Media

Nowadays, there are too many social media platforms to keep up with. It is time-consuming to jump from platform to platform and make individual posts. Thankfully, there are tools available which make this process much faster and easier. Using a program like Hootsuite helps by enabling you to schedule posts to almost any social media platform from one location, all at the same time. It will also allow you to schedule posts out for days when you aren’t going to be at the office. Scheduling ahead like this also gives you time to proof each post before it goes live. You can even send the draft around internally to get another set of eyes on it before any embarrassing mistakes go out to your audience. If Hootsuite isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other alternatives for you to choose from.

Having Social Media Guidelines

Making sure you have a company social media policy in place is important. Your social media policy should outline that an employee’s online activity reflects on the company and employee. It should remind employees of your company’s privacy and confidentiality rules. Setting rules in a policy ensure that nothing gets posted that shouldn’t. Your policy should educate and train your employees about using social media on behalf of the company while presenting a consistent corporate image. Keeping your posts on-brand and relevant will help them stand out from the crowd.

Conclusion

To maintain the security and longevity of your social media accounts, make sure they are created with company credentials. Use a scheduling program like Hootsuite to plan and proof posts before they go live. Lastly, have a clear social media policy in place to ensure the appropriateness of the content being posted. You can always call in a professional to handle your company’s social media. Appletree MediaWorks has an on-staff Social Media Specialist that is experienced in managing social media accounts for businesses like yours.

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Mobile Friendly Websites Are A Must

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Mobile Friendly Websites Are A Must

It’s official – internet traffic from mobile devices has surpassed traffic from desktop systems. That may or may not surprise you. If you need help suspending your doubt, simply open your mobile’s app library. You’ll soon notice that a vast number of apps rely on internet access to varying degrees. From social media platforms to workplace productivity applications, more and more of the global digital landscape is trending toward mobile-first usage. As this trend continues, ensuring your website is mobile friendly is more vital to your success than ever before.

Social Media And Mobile Traffic

Love it or hate it, social media has had a profound influence on the traffic shift from desktop to mobile. Two platforms – Facebook and YouTube – presently make up over 30% of mobile traffic. Though the day’s preferred platform is constantly in flux, people are spending more time on social media overall. Every major social media hub is geared toward mobile-first access. For example, have you ever tried using Instagram on a proper computer? Better yet, you’ll need a pile of good luck to send your next snap story from a computer, as SnapChat is mobile-exclusive as far as real usage is concerned. This increased attention on social media is impacting time spent on mobile devices. Meeting your customers where they spend time is common sense in the world of business marketing. Don’t focus on desktop tuning while your next customer is checking out the competition from their smart phone.

Similarly, social media has become a powerful tool for brand engagement and customer relations. Consumers expect the brands they support to be attuned to their needs and wants, and assume they can easily move between the digital places controlled by those brands. Part of that assumption is derived from the expectation that websites can be easily navigated on mobile devices. According to a 2016 study conducted by Google, 53% of mobile customers will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Accordingly, this has a direct affect on a site’s bounce-rate and packs a punch when looking at search engine ranking results.

Mobile Online Buying and Selling

For e-commerce sites, mobile optimization is crucial to success. Large retailers like eBay and Amazon have even developed mobile apps to allow users to easily access every feature of their site! Seamless shopping allows customers to add an item to their cart on a desktop and complete the purchase from a hand held device. Mobile optimized sites streamline the purchase process and encourage shoppers to spend more. Nearly 8 in 10 mobile shoppers report spending more time and making more impulse buys on device friendly websites.

Trends to Consider for Mobile Friendly Sites in 2018

Beyond the numerous reasons to optimize your website for mobile, it is essential to understand how to make the most of it:

Stop waiting to fine tune your website for mobile navigation – just do it!
Reach out to us today to learn more about making your website mobile-friendly.

Social Media Copyright Issues: Fair Use or Infringement?

Security, Social Media0

Social media copyright issues have become a hot topic in recent months. Nearly everyone has shared something on social media that was copyrighted by someone else. But what is fair to use on social media and what infringes on the rights of the copyright holder?

Is it fair use or infringement?

If you do not get a license from the copyright holder then the only way to use the content is through something called “fair use”.

What is fair use?

Generally, fair use covers any copyrighted material that was shared with a “transformative” purpose. This might constitute a comment, criticism, or parody accompanying material. Such sharing can take place without permission from the copyright owner.

Categories of Fair Use

  1. Commentary and Criticism – Commenting upon or critiquing copyrighted material. Examples include online reviews, news reports, education courses, or court case.
  2. Parody – A parody takes copyrighted material and ridicules it in a comedic way.

 

Fair Use Checklist

Not sure if you’re allowed to share something under “fair use”? Run it through this checklist to be sure before you post.

☐ Purpose and Nature of Use

The use of copyrighted material must be “transformative”. This means you took the time to add new meaning or value to the copyrighted material with new information, aesthetics, insights, or understandings.

Example of Fair Use: Google images – All Google images are copyrighted by the owner. Google’s use is considered “transformative” because it displays pictures in a different way, for a new purpose.
Example of Fair Use: Scary Movie Series – This movie series is a parody which borrows copyrighted material in order to ridicule it. Producers added value using new information, aesthetics, insights, and understandings.
Example of Infringement: Posting a copyrighted image on social media is for aesthetic or entertainment purposes. This is likely NOT a different use than the copyright holder intended and does not transform the work.

☐ Nature of the Work

Using copyrighted information has more leeway in fair use than copyrighted creative works. Also, there is more leeway in using published work rather than unpublished work.

☐ Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used

Less is more. Meaning the less you use of the copyrighted material the more likely it will be considered fair use.

Exception: Using the most memorable (although small) part of a copyrighted work, such as the opening riff of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.
Exception: Parodies – Quite a bit of a copyrighted material, even the heart of the material, can be used for parody. The Supreme Court acknowledges that “the heart is also what most readily conjures up the [original] for parody, and it is the heart at which parody takes aim,” as decided in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music,510 U.S. 569 (1994)

☐ Effect of Use Upon Market or Value

If you deprive the copyright holder income or undermine copyrighted work that could have potential market it is not fair use and you are most likely looking at a lawsuit. This holds true even if you are not using the copyrighted work directly.

Example of Infringement: An artist used a copyrighted photo to produce wood sculptures and earned a lot of money selling them. Even though the photographer did not plan on make sculptures it was considered a potential market and the court ruled in favor of the photographer.

[alertbox color=”blue”]MYTH
If you list a source, using copyrighted material is permissible.[/alertbox]

This is probably the most popular myth about copyrighted material. Even if you list your source, using copyrighted work without permission is still an infringement, especially if you are making income from it.

☐ Check Original Source

Sometimes the original source will have copyright notices. If you are unsure, be safe and obtain a license from the copyright holder.

terms and conditions☐ Check Social Media Terms and Conditions

When someone posts original work on social media, you should check the authorization to re-post, re-tweet, or re-pin that content. Read our blog article Social Media Content Rights for more detail.

Example: Pinterest’s term of service states that if a user posts content on Pinterest they are providing a license to all other users to use that content on Pinterest.

☐ Post a link instead of content

On social media, post a link to the original source of the material instead of the material itself. While this is still infringement, the chances of a complaint are much lower (especially since everyone does it). This does support a fair use defense.

☐ Keep Sharing Within Network

When you find content on social media you want to share, keep it within that network. Always read the terms and services before sharing.
[alertbox color=”blue”]

MYTH
Content posted on social media is fair game.

[/alertbox]

Some may think that if the content is on social media then it is fair game to use. This is not the case – the copyright still belongs to the copyright holder.

stolen copyrightYou can be held at fault for posting copyrighted material or even sharing something someone else posted that was copyrighted. This seems to happen so frequently on social media that the chances of litigation are low, but it’s still a risk.

U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use contains comprehensive information if you’d like additional information.

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Why Businesses Should Be On Social Media

Blog, Social Media0

Social Media is Valuable to Businesses

So you already have a website. Do you need to bother with social media? The answer is yes, and the obvious reason is that it makes your business easier to find. But there’s more to it than that! Read on for why businesses should be on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Closer and More Personal Relationships With Customers

People like to feel important and they want to be heard. By using social media you have a major advantage in knowing what your customer wants, what they like, and how they speak.

And you are in an optimal position to speak back to your customers and engage in dialogue. You are not selling something as much as participating in an interactive community. This kind of interaction makes your company feel more human.

Instant Feedback – And Damage Control

Web FeedbackIf someone is unhappy with a product or service, these days they often bring their experience straight to the internet, in a public and vocal way.

This puts the spotlight on you to respond, and is your opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade. If someone is complaining, it’s because they want to be heard. Your properly-handled response to complaints can create dedicated followers and loyal customers.

Just remember not to be emotional or hostile when you respond to criticism – all eyes are on you to see what you do!

Learn About Your Customers & Expand Your Audience

Customer Interaction

When you get feedback from your customers you are gaining valuable data: their opinions, their preferences, what drives them, and how they operate.

This information is valuable, in that it gives you a greater opportunity to expand your audience and find more customers.

Create Interest and Awareness – For Less Cost Than Traditional Media

Product Awareness

If a potential customer doesn’t know you offer a particular good or service, they won’t think to go to you. If they see what you have to offer even when that is not something they’re searching for at this exact time, you’ve still made them aware of it. Because of that, when they do need what you offer, they know you’re an option.

Creating awareness and interest through social media does take time. But it costs significantly less than traditional media. That’s not to say you should give up on traditional media, but at the very least social media is a worthy supplement.

Share Your Content & Bring People Back to Your Website

Bring People Back To Your Website

Do you have blog articles, photos, imagery of your services on your site? Social media is a great way to get that info out for people to see. It’s also a great way to bring people back to your website.

Your website should be the hub of your internet presence that users can come back to for all things about your company. Social media is a great supplement. It allows for personal interaction, draws people to your website, and helps create conversation about your business. Take a look for more obscure social media outlets as well. Platforms like Tumblr, Alignable, Instagram and even Ello may have something to offer.

If you need help setting up your web presence, contact us at Appletree MediaWorks – we can give you a hand.