Which social media sites are popular for business ?

Social media marketing revolutionised the digital marketing scenario across the Globe. It not only provided low-maintenance and cost effective platforms for marketing but also opened up ways for small businesses to interact with their existing and potential customers. To create an effective social media marketing strategy, it is important to identify the social media sites that are most suitable to your industry, product and customer base and create a strong presence on such social media websites. Below are some major social media sites which have good reach and have proved useful for businesses.  

Facebook

With more than 1.55 billion active users, facebook is the biggest social networking website today. Since its launch in 2004, facebook has transformed from being just a social interaction platform to a website where large number of people connect globally. Facebook has become a versatile tool for businesses through its various features like the Pages Feature and Ads Manager.  A simple like or share on your Facebook page can help your business to increase its reach with the people who may not known you. You can use it to share photos, videos, important company updates and more.   

Twitter

Twitter is a micro-blogging website launched in 2004 with more than 300 million users worldwide. The messages conveyed are short precise and in 140 characters or less. Twitter is all the rage amongst youngsters, celebrities and big brands alike. Because of its wide reach, Twitter is not only a great way to market your business but also an effective channel for handling customer service.   

Youtube   

YouTube is a video sharing social media site where a new video is uploaded every minute. It is a great platform for small businesses to incorporate videos in your online marketing strategy and embed videos to your website. These videos can be infomercials, tutorials, product launches, offers, blogs etc.   

Linkedin 

Launched in 2003, Linkedin has become the premier B2B social networking site. Linkedin is a great platform for Networking with local professionals and Connecting with people in similar industries. And like other social networking sites Linkedin aides in Lead generation & reputation management for your business.   

Pinterest 

Pinterest is a very powerful image-based social media website. It consists of digital bulletin boards where users can save and display content they like in the form of pins. Pinterest connects users and boards with similar interests and thus helps boost the business in amongst a potential customer base.  

Instagram 

Like Pinterest, Instagram too is an visual based social media platform. Instagram started out as an image sharing site, but has now morphed into a site which has more advertising power than any other social media site. Instagram is used by businesses for sharing pictures and short video clips, creating their brand image by sharing company culture and “behind-the-scenes” insights. The main factor which boosted Instagram's acceptance amongst users were its filters and tools to easily edit pictures.  

Google+ 

Google Plus’s popularity is partially due to its SEO value. Google+ is great for getting customer reviews to show up in search results. Google+ has many features crafted with keeping the user in mind such as Hangouts, Circles, Messenger, Instant Upload etc.