Different Types of Social Media and How to Market through them - part 3

In the following 3 articles, we have divided different types of social media into ten broad categories based on what individuals want to achieve by using them. Don’t miss reading them!

19 Nov 2021

(Interest-Based Networks, Social Shopping Networks, Sharing Economy Networks, and Anonymous Social Networks)

If you are a social media pro, you are probably already using all of the big social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and media sharing sites (Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat), as well as a few more like Pinterest and Google Plus. Social media, on the other hand, is much more than just the major social networking and media sharing sites. People utilise several social media platforms to connect online for various reasons if you look past the social media behemoths.

Networks Built on Shared Interests

Goodreads, Houzz, and Last.FM are among the examples. People use these networks for a variety of reasons, such as forming bonds with people around a common interest or activity. How they can help your company: If a network exists dedicated to the products or services you offer, these networks can be a terrific way to communicate with your audience and raise brand awareness. By focusing primarily on a single subject, such as books, music, or home design, interest-based networks take a more specialised approach than the big social networks. People started believing online evaluations and felt comfortable using them to judge the reputation and reliability of merchants and service providers in recent years, making this online model for peer commerce practical and popular. “The collaborative economy today works because trust can be verified electronically through social networks… social media allows the collaborative economy to run smoothly,” according to a report by digital research firm Vision Critical.

Networks for Social Shopping

Polyvore, Etsy, and Fancy are some examples. People use these networks for a variety of reasons. To notice trends, follow brands, discuss cool things, and buy stuff. How they can help your company: Brands may use new platforms to raise awareness, enhance interaction, and sell items. By incorporating a social component into e-commerce, social shopping networks make it more interesting. Of course, e-commerce elements can be found on a variety of social media platforms. For example, Pinterest has Buyable Pins, and Instagram has call-to-action buttons such as “shop now” and “install now.” Social shopping networks take it a step further by designing their websites around a tight social media integration and shopping.Services like Etsy enable small businesses and individual craftspeople to sell their wares online without the need for a physical location, while networks like Polyvore combine products from many sellers into a single online marketplace. Polyvore is one of the largest online social style communities, and it is an excellent example of a network that combines social and purchasing experiences. Users produce the majority of the content by selecting things they like, creating collages, publishing them as a set, and then sharing sets with other users.

Networks of the “Sharing Economy”

Airbnb, Uber, and Taskrabbit are just a few examples. People use these networks for a variety of reasons. To allow peers to promote, find, share, buy, sell, and trade products and services. How they can help your company: If you sell the same products or services as are sold here, these networks can be an additional source of revenue. (If you run a bed-and-breakfast, for example, Airbnb could help you discover customers.) Sharing economy networks, also known as “collaborative economy networks,” bring individuals together online to advertise, search, share, buy, sell, and trade goods and services. While you may be aware of well-known networks such as Airbnb and Uber, there is an increasing number of specialist networks where you can locate a dog sitter, a parking spot, a home-cooked dinner, and more.

Conclusion

There are many flavours of social media to choose from. Most of these types can be used to boost your business in one way or another. Get clear about your goals, think creatively, and, most importantly, stay human.