We’ve talked here before about certain benefits of having a business presence on social media platforms.  For many, this comes as no surprise, but there are many businesses that have been around since long before the internet, cat videos, gangnam style and, what does the fox say. If you didn’t understand that last sentence, you should probably keep reading. Many of these have adapted to changing technology, some have not, and both may still be successful. However, it’s becoming more and more clear that going forward, social media and online advertising will have to be a part of your business plan if you wish to remain that way.

The internet is a busy, confusing thing. If you’re not of the millennial generation then you’re at the disadvantage of not having been born into a world made smaller by technology. There’s no shame in not knowing anything about Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Snapchat, Flickr, Reddit, and a whole host of other services. These are a sampling of the more popular one’s but there are hundreds of others with more popping up each day. Even if you’ve been raised with this technology it’s hard to keep up. If you still haven’t set up an email account and don’t recognize any of the social media companies listed above, it might be time for some help.

So lets take a look at a few different platforms:

Facebook

Perhaps the most recognized, visible network on the internet. Based on the concept of networks of friends, you can easily connect with people from all walks of life and across the globe. Each user has a personal space or “wall” where they and others can post. Post’s can be seen by all or only those with permission depending on your settings. It’s not uncommon for users to have thousands of friends, many of whom they don’t know but have interacted with over Facebook. You literally have the potential to reach tens of thousands of people instantly when you post here. It should be starting to become clear what a powerful advertising tool this can be. With the ability to search out highly specific users you can deliver your message with great efficiency. A mighty sword if wielded by the right hand.

Twitter

Twitter has the same basic concept of Facebook in that it’s based on people sharing information. Instead of having friends, you can choose to “follow” a user and see and respond to whatever they post. Twitter doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that are found on Facebook however, and messages are limited to 160 characters.

YouTube

YouTube didn’t start out as what we now think of as a social media site. Initially it was just about sharing video’s with other people. If you want to see a video of Bob Dylan, just search and thousands of results pop up. They’ve since expanded and built up their platform to give users a more social experience by enabling commenting on videos as well as creating “channels” which are run by individual users. Lately YouTube has begun to resemble your typical TV viewing experience in that we’re seeing more and more video and pop up ads. The comment section on YouTube is generally a sinkhole, do yourself a favor and avoid it like the plague. They’re doing work to clean it up so maybe check back every once in a while and see. The real potential lies in streaming and pop ads anyways.

Instagram

This is primarily a photo sharing platform. While many other services offer the ability to post photo’s as a part of the experience. With Instagram, photo’s ARE the experience. If your business deals with very visible services or products it may be a good tool to have in your kit.

These are but a small fraction (although the more popular) of the social media platforms available to businesses today. Whether you’re a pro or novice when it comes to social media, RPM can help. Check out our website to see the services we offer. Get in touch with us for a free consultation to see which options might be best for you!