- It's impossible to be active
in every social media channel,
so you'll have to select the ones
that make the most sense for your business.
Now, there are many social media brands.
Some are big and have been around for a while
and some are smaller and maybe newer, too.
There are networks that are focused on the general audience
and there are niche social networks or groups within network
that focus on bringing people together
who have a similar interest.
The social media landscape can be divided up
in a few categories.
Here's a popular diagram by Fred Cavazza.
He categorizes the social media platforms
in networking, publishing, sharing,
messaging, discussing, and collaborating,
and you'll find that the most popular
and biggest platforms touch on all of these aspects,
so they're in the center of this diagram.
Different products not only serve a different purpose,
but they appeal more or less to different age groups.
YouTube and Facebook are used by people
of almost any age group, but Snapchat, for example,
sees little usage from older age groups.
Now, LinkedIn sees slightly more adoption
among the 30 to 49 year olds,
primarily due to its specific focus
on professional networking.
Not only do you have to evaluate the reach
of a particular network, but you also have to consider
the volatile nature of social media.
New platforms arise all the time.
Some gain immediate traction.
Others fizzle.
Some such as TikTok become prolific,
but then get caught in legal or political disputes
that upset their stability.
Now, it's good to keep this all in mind
as you start planning your digital marketing strategy.
Joining an early network is higher risk,
but also higher reward.
It really depends on your goals.
Take time to evaluate the various networks
and aim to make sure that your message lands
with the right audience on a platform
where they're most likely
going to be paying attention to it.