Week 2: Overview of Social Media

·         Which social media platforms seem geared towards personal use? Why do you think so?

I find that the social media platforms that are geared more towards personal use would be Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These platforms are more in line for the individual user. The person who is trying to stay connected with family and friends. All three are great ways to communicate, view photos and videos without having to pick up a telephone and call.

Personally speaking for myself, I am not a phone person. I rarely speak to family and friends on the phone just to talk. I have to have a specific reason to be calling before I will do it. Since the creation of social media such as Facebook and Twitter I can communicate with family and friends and keep up with what is going on in their lives without having to spend a lot of time on the phone.

Also with the use of Instagram I can view photos and videos that are posted by family and friends and be in the loop of what’s going on in their lives such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, vacations etc… and this can all be done from the convenience of my computer or device.

           

·         Which ones seem to work better for business? What makes them seem more suitable to business use?

I find that social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Foursquare seem to work best for business use. LinkedIn is a platform for professionals who are looking for employment or for employers looking to fill positions in their business. This is a great way for an individual to post a resumes for employers to view who may have a position available that they are looking to fill.

 This is also a way for an employer to post a job opportunity out to the masses at a very low advertising cost to them. They can review candidates at their leisure and only select the ones who they feel will be a good fit for their organization. This is an efficient way to get quality candidates without spending a lot of time interviewing so many.

One of the best ways to find employment is through networking. LinkedIn is a great way to get that word of mouth out there to potential opportunities that are out there that you wouldn’t normally find in the classified section of your newspaper. I feel that these are great platforms to find opportunities as well as for businesses to identify potential customers to grow their customer base.

·         Do any seem to work well for both? How are they used differently?

I think that platforms such as Facebook and Twitter work well for doing both. They can be used for social communication with family and friends but they can also be used as a way to locate businesses, for example a contractor for home repairs or renovations.

By utilizing reviews from friends you have on Facebook or Twitter who may have used that contractor or business before and were satisfied with the service they provided.

 As a business owner by creating a Facebook or Twitter page you can identify potential customers that may be interested in your business or provide reviews on the services you provide and in return receive vital feedback on what you can do to improve your services or product to make it better for the consumer.