In our social world today, there is an increase in the influx of smartphone ownerships. It is therefore not out of place to say that half of the population are mostly online.
Social media refers to a digital space that enables one to connect, create and share content with others through the building of virtual networks and communities.
Building a platform on social media has helped open doors with unending opportunities. It’s not just a place to post pictures and observe the latest celebrity drama. Rather, it has become a tool that can be used to harness ones’ passion.
Categorisation is according to the features they possess:
Social Networks
These are sites that help connect people online by sharing information and ideas through the use of photos, videos and write ups. These platforms designs are mainly for sharing knowledge and connecting with people. Examples are;
It’s a free social networking site where registered users get to share contents with other users who are friends with them. One tends to see content from majorly those who they “friended” or friend of your friend – depending on their privacy settings. Facebook gives you a personal news feed feature, which allows personalise content according to your interests.
The live story feature helps in giving out learning seminars or hosting events as they happen. With it’s networking ability, it encourages people test their entrepreneurial skills by marketing their creations on the platform.
Twitter enables you to ‘tweet’ your ideas and thoughts. With Twitter, you can easily make contacts with people outside your circle of friendship. You can follow anyone and vice versa based on mutual interests. The usage of Twitter is fast and has limited message size and it is also good for advert placements.
It is a platform that is mainly used by professionals for their career or personal development. LinkedIn encourages networking with a large range of professionals, giving you an insight on how they think and the kind of skills they possess. LinkedIn is a platform that connects you to even CEOs of organizations; allowing you to make connections that can help grow your career.
It is a good avenue for job hunting as you get to build your portfolio. Knowledge is power and LinkedIn has a bank of it with courses of different fields. It creates room for job and scholarship opportunities.
Media Sharing Networks
This kind of social media dwells on sharing photos, videos and infographics as social media campaigns. It creates avenue to engage it’s audience. Examples of those belonging to this group include:
A free image and video sharing service that is commonly used to connect with people you don’t know but share common interests. It is mostly mobile friendly and encourages advertisements using photos and videos. It serves as a very good platform for advertising your brand to people.
TikTok
This a free fast rising video sharing platform that enables users to shoot, edit and share short videos. It comes with different, easy to understand templates that helps advertising a brand efficient. This particular social media attracts people with it’s trendy features.
YouTube
YouTube is an online platform that involves streaming and uploading of videos. Billions of people use this app currently and upload different contents on a daily basis. YouTube is a tool which you can use for entertainment, education and production. Usage of it involves creating, managing, sharing content, getting social recognition and learning too.
Discussion Networks
A discussion network is a platform where one visit to find, discuss and share information and opinions on certain issues. Here, you get the views of people of different age and location on topics of interest. A good example of this is ‘Nairaland’.
I can recall looking for a particular information and needed the views of people, Nairaland gave me what I was looking for and more.
Now, having listed all these social media platforms, it is worth mentioning that they come with dangers and risks. Some of which include: addiction, distraction, cyber bullying, exposure to inappropriate content etc. Knowing these dangers is very significant, as know when to take the needed breaks and when to put your smartphone down. Having good netiquette also goes a long way.
The presence of the social media apps is to make lives better, don’t let it control you. Therefore, take the opportunities it offers today and put into good use. You would be glad you did.
