As content creators, you are well aware of the impact social media networks can have on your creative and distribution processes. They are ideal for gaining audience insight, researching trending topics, and greatly enhancing your authority and reach. However, how do you know which social media networks are ideal for your business? Just as in many things marketing, one size does not fit all; so we compiled a list exploring the pros and cons of the 8 most popular social media networks.
Pros:
- Massive following (larger than any other platform on the list)
- Easy to set up and control
- Can provide great visibility for an emerging company
- Constant innovation and expansion
Cons:
- Very hard to gain organic traffic
- Has become very ad oriented (pay to play)
- Has had multiple issues concerning user privacy
- Creating a marketing campaign can sometimes be time consuming and copious
Pros:
Allows for organized search via the use of hashtags- Preferred platform for real time updates
- Messages are concise and direct due to 140 character limit
- Paid marketing capabilities are being improved
Cons:
- Hard to master
- Implementation of an algorithmic timeline
- Message can be “drowned out by noise”
- Not an optimal platform for visual content
- Character limitation can sometime be a hindrance
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Google+
Pros:
- Integrated with Gmail and Google Accounts
Greatly helps with SEO, increasing your visibility in Google SERPs- Account integration makes it easy to find and connect with other Google Account holders
Cons:
- Limited audience size especially when compared to other platforms on the list
- Contests and promotional activities are prohibited
- Overlooked by many users
- Significantly smaller market share (compared to others on the list)
Pros:
Platform utilized by business professionals- Can be used to find, network, and build relations with other leaders in your industry
- Analytics have been greatly improved
- Excellent platform for thought leadership
Cons:
- Difficult to master
- Requires great commitment of one’s time
- A relatively small percentage of users show significant daily activity
- Advertising is much more expensive when compared to other platforms on the list
Pros:
Very popular with a younger audience (teens and millenials)- Top advertisers on Facebook are also active on Instagram
- Encourages user engagement
Cons:
- Not many integration capabilities
- Links have limited functionality when in captions
- The increased presence of advertising will hinder organic methods of gaining traffic
Pintrest
Pros:
- Has shown significant growth as an ad platform
Images are hyperlinked to the original source, therefore increasing traffic to your website or blog- You are not required to allocate a lot of time and effort engaging users as the platform encourages them to discover content on their own
- Buy button greatly supports direct commerce
Cons:
- Women account for the majority of the platform’s user base
- Constant need for high quality appealing images
- New users may find the platform confusing
Snapchat
Pros:
- Great platform to target teens
More serious content creators are leveraging the medium’s popularity- More features are constantly being added
- It is constantly being fine tuned to enhance user experience and ease of use
Cons:
- Has a large learning curve for older audiences
- Tracking snap success and analytics is very limited
- Advertising on the platform is not easy, or cheap.
YouTube
Pros:
- Videos and Accounts can be found in SERPs
Gives a more personal tone to your content and brand- Can be used to explain complicated concepts in a more entertaining and descriptive manner (than one would be able to do with text)
- Managing a channel is similar to managing a blog
- Algorithm changed to punish strictly click-bait titles for low quality content
Cons:
- Requires very good editing skills (or a competent editing team)
- The platform’s algorithm now focuses on time watched rather than number of views so videos need to be well scripted and captivating
- Requires a large time investment (significantly greater than just blogging)
When exploring marketing tactics, social media is always a good answer. Different networks help you achieve your ideal goals; each platform has its pros and cons. Which social media platform is your favorite? Leave us a comment below!
We hope you found this list helpful, for more detailed articles and insightful content feel free to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
For more reading on how you can make an impact with your online marketing, check out the links below:
- Content is King: 101 Tips To Leverage For Your Next Campaign
- The Twitter Page Template That Helped Me Gain 17k Followers
- The 8 Step Influencer Marketing Strategy To Help You Get To The Top
- BuzzSumo: Marketing Tool Of The Month
