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Popular Social Media Networks Overview

As mentioned in our introduction, this guide will cover the basic “how-tos” for four popular Social Media networks. Before we get to the nitty gritty, let’s familiarize ourselves with the four big players.

fb-artFacebook

Facebook is the most-used social network in the world, with over 1 billion users. Almost half of participants on Facebook are on it to connect with businesses and non-profits and to share the news, insights and content from those organizations.

Facebook is best for…

Highlighting the human factor of your company – creates a solid relationship and emotional connections between you and your customers. This is because sharing photos is the most effective means of driving engagement on Facebook. People are innately visual, and Facebook caters to this fact.

A typical Facebook page for a business features:

  • A category and page name that represent your business. Example – Category: Food / Beverage, Page Name: McDonald’s.
  • A logo or another image the people associate with your business to use as your profile picture – McDonald’s uses the Golden Arches.
  • A short sentence about your company so people understand what you do. For example, McDonald’s uses “Dedicated to everyone who says, “I’m Lovin’ It.”
  • Your business’ website address.
  • A cover photo (large photo at the top of your Facebook page) that represents your brand and showcases your products or services. McDonald’s uses an image of an apple orchard and a farmer– one of McDonald’s suppliers.

Twitter_logo_blueTwitter

With over 250 million users, Twitter is one of the most visited sites on the internet. Participants go to Twitter to share what they know and learn in return. There are over a billion Tweets sent every three days.

Twitter is best for…

Sharing information with a broad range of participants almost immediately. Customers can share the information you post (or, “re-tweet” it, in Twitter-speak) with all of their followers with just the click of a button.

A typical Twitter profile page for a business features:

  • Your Twitter username, or handle (McDonald’s uses @McDonalds).
  • A few words about your business so people understand what you do. (“Welcome to the official McDonald’s USA Twitter page!”)
  • A profile picture, usually your logo or products/services – McDonald’s uses the Golden Arches.
  • A customizable background image. McDonald’s uses a photo of an array of their product offerings.
  • A link to your website.

pinterest_badge_redPinterest

Pinterest is a “virtual pinboard.” Participants use Pinterest to organize and share the beautiful and interesting images they find online.

Pinterest is best for…

Companies that want to visually extend their brand by featuring images or photographs that emphasize what is important to them.

A typical business Pinterest profile page features:

  • Your logo
  • A short sentence about your business and your intentions on Pinterest.
  • Links to your website and other social media networks.

LinkedIn_logo_initialsLinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet with over 175 million members in over 200 countries. As opposed to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, LinkedIn is most widely used for connecting people professionally, based on similar business interests and networks.

LinkedIn is best for…

Professional networking and sharing industry news.

A typical LinkedIn Company profile page features the following sections:

  • Home – this tab is a friendly introduction to your business. Includes a high-level overview of the business, recent posts by your company and those connected to the company.
  • Careers – this tab allows your company to interact with job seekers on LinkedIn.
  • Products & Services – this tab is used to highlight goods or services and recommendations from LinkedIn members.
  • Insights – this tab shows employees with new titles, departures, and the most common employee skills.