If you want to improve yoursocial media marketing strategy, you need to know the different types of social media contentyhow or where you share that content.
Should you focus on photos? Videos? blog? And the forums? And, once you have your content, how do you want to implement it? You can post on community review sites or broadcast live to the masses. Understanding these different types of social networks will help you develop a better content strategy and know where to focus your time and energy.
To help you out, we've put together a list of 14 types of social media every marketer should know about. From social media to video sharing and social messaging, there's something for everyone (and every business).
Types of social networks
1.Social media
2.Share photos and images
3.video sharing
4.share audio
5.Live broadcast
6.social messages
7.Disappearing content apps
8.shopping on social networks
9.Interactive social media apps
10discussion forums
11microblogging platforms
12Community blogging sites
13social rating sites
14Website Tagging and Social Curation
1. Social networking sites
General description:Social networking sites allow people to connect with each other through a shared online space. Users can like, share, comment on posts and follow other users and businesses.
For brands, social networking sites offer an opportunity to raise awareness,create a communityof customers and followers and drive traffic to websites. By creating informative and engaging content, brands can cultivate relationships with customers and followers that drive conversions.
Examples:Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat
How brands can use social networking sites:
- Publish, share, and respond to audience content
- Connect directly with others. Whether as friends or fans, engaged social followings signal influence for marketers and brands alike.
- Form communities and discuss relevant news within them.
2. Photo and image sharing sites
General description:Studies show thatvisual content on social media drives more engagementthan written content. Visuals have also become a priority for modern brands, with nearly49% two sellerssaying that images are key to their strategy.
Platforms like Instagram, which hasover a billion monthly active users, have made selecting and sharing photos and images easier than ever. Brands looking to implement this type of social media marketing should focus on creative, high-quality images that tell a story.
Examples:Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest e Imgur
How brands can use photo and image sharing sites:
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- Post creative, high-quality images that illustrate your brand values
- Organize and promote user-generated content through branded hashtags.
- Interact with customers and followers in real time
3. Video sharing sites
Overview: half of everythingsocial media users say they prefer videoto any other type of content. Like image-based social sites, video hubs like YouTube, TikTok and Vimeo are attracting visitors in droves through visual content.
Why is video so popular? Well, video content requires less effort for viewers to absorb. There is no reading or scrolling, just watching. Not to mention, videos are ideal for educating your audience. How-to's and tutorials are the mainstays of social video content.
Examples:YouTube, Tik Tok and Vimeo
How brands can use video sharing sites:
- Use videos to demonstrate how your product or service works
- Share customer testimonials and success stories
- Create practical guides and useful tutorials related to your industry
- Highlight company culture with behind-the-scenes footage
4. Audio sharing sites
General description:audio sharing websitesThey are a type of social media that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuck at home with Zoom fatigue, people were looking for an easier way to consume content, and only audio proved to be the solution.
Social apps like Clubhouse offer users a unique way to connect with others and share ideas. This type of social network is still in its infancy, but it shows a lot of promise for the future.
examples: Casa club, Twitter Spaces e Facebook Live Audio Rooms
How brands can use audio sharing sites:
- Share behind-the-scenes content like interviews with employees and company leaders.
- Host live events and Q&As with customers or experts in your industry
- Take listeners on a journey by sharing audio stories or vignettes
5. Live streaming apps
General description: Live broadcastThe apps allow users to share real-time videos with their followers. This content is often authentic and unedited, giving viewers a special behind-the-scenes look at the life of the person broadcasting.
The live streaming market is booming, with more than482 billion hours watchedonly in 2020. Stream everything from concerts to esports, product launches and more.
Examples:YouTube live, Facebook live, Twitch and UStream
How brands can use live streaming apps:
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- Give viewers an honest look at your brand
- Build anticipation for upcoming products or events with live teasers
- Increase sales by offering exclusive deals and discounts to viewers who tune in live
6. Social messaging apps
General description:Social messaging apps are a type of social network that allow users to communicate with each other in real time. One of the most popular messaging apps, WhatsApp, has more than200 billion monthly users!
While not traditionally considered a marketing tool,messaging apps like WhatsAppit can be a powerful way to reach and engage with your target audience. Brands can use them to provide customer service, product recommendations, and even make sales.
Examples:Facebook Messenger, Twitter Direct Messages, Google Business Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat
How brands can use social messaging apps:
- Use chatbots to answer customer questions
- Send automated coupon codes or discount offers
- Create a private group for loyal customers and followers
- Usesmart inboxto monitor all incoming messages and conversations in one place
7. Disappearing content apps
General description:Vanishing content, also known as ephemeral content, refers to content that only exists for a short period of time before it expires or is no longer available. Snapchat popularized this format, but now other platforms like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsAppoffer similar features.
Vanishing content is a great way to add excitement and urgency to your marketing campaigns. It can also help you connect with the younger crowd that tends to be on these types of social media. Only Instagram Stories have more than500 million daily active users.
Examples:Snapchat, Instagram Stories e Facebook Stories
How brands can use disappearing content apps:
- Promote urgent sales and discounts
- Encourage your audience to share their own disappearing content
- Create behind-the-scenes content so your audience can get a glimpse of your brand
8. Shopping on social networks
General description: social shoppinghas become more and more popular in recent years. Most social media platforms now allow users to browse and purchase products without leaving the app.
This is a convenient way for consumers to shop and gives brands a unique opportunity to sell their products directly to their target audience. Taking into account that60% of peoplesay they find new products on Instagram and75% of Pinterest userssay they're "always shopping" in-app, social shopping holds a lot of value for businesses.
Examples:Facebook for Business, Shopify x TikTok, Instagram Shop e Pins Shoppable do Pinterest
How brands can use shopping social media:
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- Create a Facebook store and link it to your Facebook and Instagram pages
- Use Pinterest Shopping Pins to tag products in your posts and let people buy them without leaving the app.
- Add a TikTok store to your profile and sell products directly to your fans
- Tag products in Instagram posts and stories and link to your website or other platforms like Shopify
9. Interactive social media apps
General description:these types ofsocial media appsuser focusinteraction and engagement. They encourage users to communicate, often through games, contests, or polls.
For example, Snapchat's "Glasses" feature allows users to add augmented reality filters to their photos and videos. And TikTok has "duets" that allow users to record themselves singing or dancing along to another user's video.
Examples:Stories from Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Tumblr and Weibo
How brands can use interactive social media apps:
- Create a branded Snapchat lens or filter your audience can play with
- Encourage users to duet with your TikTok video to win a prize
- Be active in the comments section of Weibo Stories
10. Discussion forums
General description:Discussion forums are online platforms where people can ask questions, provide answers, and initiate discussions on a variety of topics. For example,Reddit has communities(called subreddits) for almost every topic imaginable, from jokes to cryptocurrencies.
Brands can visit forums to listen socially, learn what people are saying about them, and get feedback from customers and potential customers.
Examples:Reddit, Quora e Stack Overflow
How brands can use the discussion forums:
- Feedback and ideas for crowdsourcing products in relevant forum threads
- Provide customer support on forums where your people are discussing your brand
- Participate in relevant subreddits and answer questions related to your industry
11. Microblogging Platforms
General description:Microblogging is a type of social media marketing that allows users to post updates or short messages. Twitter is the most famous example of microblogging, which allows users to tweet in 140 characters or less.
While microblogging was once dominated by Twitter, platforms like LinkedIn and Tumblr have also become popular microblogging sites.
Examples:Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest e LinkedIn
How brands can use microblogging platforms:
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- Use hashtags to participate in conversations about your industry or product
- Share news, articles and other relevant content to your followers
- Offer customer support or answer questions in microblogs or comments
12. Community blogging sites
General description:Community blogging sites are platforms where people can come together to write articles, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. Most community blogging sites focus on a specific niche or topic, making them a great resource for finding new content ideas and connecting with other like-minded people. They also tend to have highly engaged users, which can be beneficial in promoting your brand or product.
Examples:Medium, GrowthHackers, BlogEngage and DoSplash
How brands can use community blog sites:
- Create or curate content on a specific topic
- Build relationships with other bloggers in your niche
- Drive traffic back to your own blog
13. Social rating sites
General description:According to Statista,36% of consumers use online reviewsto inform your purchasing decisions. Many of them also have online reviews and personal recommendations.
Organizing, collecting, and interacting with your reviews online is critical to success in many industries today. Also, did you know that you canpost directly to your google business profileusing Sprout Social?
Examples:Google, Amazon, Yelp, and Facebook Business Profile
How brands can use social review sites:
- Monitor and respond to revisions in a timely manner
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive feedback
- Use negative reviews as an opportunity to improve your business
14. Website Tagging and Social Curation
General description:Social bookmarking allows you to save web pages so you can revisit them later. These sites also allow users to add notes, share bookmarks with others, and discover new content.
Use this type of social network to curate content for your team or clients. It's also a great place tocreate a content cubethan you can reuse on your social media channels.
Examples:Pocket (pictured above), Digg, Pinterest and Mix
How brands can use social curation and bookmarking sites:
- Create a repository of content your team can use on social media
- Compilation of customer research and insights
- Find relevant content to share with your audience and save it for later
What type of social network is right for your business?
The types of social networking sites you use for your business should be based on your goals. If you wantincrease brand awareness, consider using a combination of social media and content curation sites. if you are lookingbuild relationships with customers, focus on social networking sites. And if you're looking to generate leads or sales, consider using social bookmarks or e-commerce sites.
If you're using multiple types of social media marketing in your strategy, consider using a social media management platform like Sprout Social. With Sprout, you can share content across major social channels, engage with your audience, and track the performance of your social media campaigns from one place.Start your free trial today!
FAQs
What are the different types of social media marketing? ›
- content marketing/content creating.
- advertising/sponsorship.
- influencer marketing.
- social media management/community management.
- paid media.
- building your following.
- contributing to forums.
- reviews.
Social media marketers must be familiar with how to create effective ads, how to set up campaigns, and how to manage these campaigns for a successful outcome.
What are the 6 types of social media marketing? ›What Are the Six Types of Social Media? The six types of social media, though this can be broken down in many ways, include social networking, bookmarking, social news, media sharing, microblogging, and online forum sites.
What are the 8 types of social media? ›- Social Networking Sites. These are sites mainly used for connecting with friends and family. ...
- Image-based sites. Image-based types of content have gained more prominence in recent times. ...
- Video sharing/streaming platforms. ...
- Discussion forums. ...
- Blogs and community platforms. ...
- Key Takeaways.
Modern media comes in many different formats, including print media (books, magazines, newspapers), television, movies, video games, music, cell phones, various kinds of software, and the Internet.
What are the list of media types? ›The three types of media are commonly known as news media, social media, and web media, but you might also see them referred to as earned media, shared media, and owned media. Some other forms of modern media are print media, television, movies, and video games.
What are the 5 types of social media? ›- Social Networking.
- Photo Sharing.
- Video Sharing.
- Interactive Media.
- Blogging/Community Building.
Communities, conversations, channels, and campaigns: these are the Four C's of social media marketing, and mastering these functional areas requires that you have the right tools and the right mindset.
What are the five most effective social media marketing strategies? ›- Always educate and give value to your audience.
- Create varied content.
- Leverage customer loyalty, reviews, and user-generated content.
- Focus on the best social media channel that works for your strategy.
- Connect with other influencers in your niche.
Interacting with customers and dealing with customers' enquiries. Developing new social media strategies and campaigns. Managing a budget to be spent on promoting social media posts and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Keeping track of data and analysing the performance of social media campaigns.
What are the 7 P's of social marketing? ›
These seven are: product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people.
What are the 8 P's of social marketing? ›The 8 Ps of marketing is product, price, place, promotion, people, positioning, processes, and performance. The goal is to get them working together for your marketing mix. If you can you'll have a much better chance to attract and convert your potential customers. There's no shortage of marketing advice out there.
What are the 4 main social media? ›General people are only aware of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram sorts of social channels. Social media will help you build up loyalty of your current customers to the point that they will willingly, and for free, tell others about you. Over 88% of the companies are now marketing on Social Media.
What are the 7 functions of social media? ›In "Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media", researchers provide a framework that defines social media, which includes seven functional social media building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups.
What are the 7 social media Building Blocks? ›The seven functional blocks of social media. Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy, and Silvestre (2011) developed a honeycomb framework that identifies seven functional building blocks of SM: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation and groups.
What are the Big Six media? ›- Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)
- Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)
- AT&T (NYSE:T)
- Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA)
- Sony (NYSE:SONY)
- Fox (NASDAQ:FOX)
The most widely used form of mass media is still television. Used to attract all age groups from the youngest of children to senior citizens, advertisers have known for decades that television remains the most effective form of mass media.
What are the 7 types of media effects? ›Types of Media Effects
Among them are physical effects, effects on beliefs (knowledge), effects on attitudes and values, effects on emotions, effects on social behavior, effects on public opinion, and effects on the reputation of people covered by the media.
There are three main types of news media: print media, broadcast media, and the Internet.
What is the most common type of social media? ›3. Facebook. With nearly 3 billion monthly users, Facebook is inarguably the largest and most popular social media platform in the world.
What are the 4 main categories of content marketing? ›
There are four content categories used in content creation and marketing—attraction, authority, affinity, and action. It's important to note that the four content categories are not mutually exclusive, and a single piece of content will often fit in multiple categories.
What are the four P's that make up social marketing strategy? ›The four Ps are product, price, place, and promotion. They are an example of a “marketing mix,” or the combined tools and methodologies used by marketers to achieve their marketing objectives.
What are the 10 steps to a successful social media strategy? ›- Define Clear Goals. This is the foundation of your social media management or campaign strategy. ...
- Get To Know Your Audience. ...
- Choose the Right Platforms. ...
- Create a Content Bank. ...
- Identify Keywords and Hashtags. ...
- Create a Content Schedule. ...
- Set Up Social Tools. ...
- Set Your Analytics.
A marketing strategy is a long-term plan for achieving a company's goals by understanding the needs of customers and creating a distinct and sustainable competitive advantage. It encompasses everything from determining who your customers are to deciding what channels you use to reach those customers.
What are the six marketing roles? ›The six marketing functions are product/service management, marketing-information management, pricing, distribution, promotion, and selling. The functions must work together to get products from producers to consumers.
What are 3 main duties of marketer? ›Increase sales of products or services. Build awareness about a brand. Grow a company's market share.
What does a social media marketer do daily? ›The day-to-day life of a social media manager entails checking the day's scheduled posts, making any changes needed, editing copy, and meeting with fellow marketing team peers on upcoming campaigns, product launches, or other promotional opportunities — like a CEO interview or a new partnership that you'd like to ...
What are the 5 C's of marketing? ›What is the 5C Analysis? 5C Analysis is a marketing framework to analyze the environment in which a company operates. It can provide insight into the key drivers of success, as well as the risk exposure to various environmental factors. The 5Cs are Company, Collaborators, Customers, Competitors, and Context.
What are the 7 C's of marketing? ›In contrast to other marketing models, the 7 Cs Compass Model considers both the marketing strategies as well as the segment to which the strategies are being targeted. The seven Cs are Corporation, Commodity, Cost, Communication, Channel, Consumer and Circumstances.
What are the 3 main components of social marketing? ›When looking at the definition, it is easy to spot the five main components of social marketing. They are that (1) it focuses on behavior change that is (2) voluntary using (3) marketing principles and techniques to (4) select and influence a target audience for their (5) benefit (Kotler, Roberto, & Lee, 2002).
What are the 11 Ps of marketing? ›
These 11 elements are product, price, place (distribution), promotion, people, process, physical evidence, personal relationships, packaging, positioning and performance.
What are the five elements of the social marketing process? ›This process consists of five general stages, each of which involves several different types of activities: 1) Planning; 2) Message and materials development; 3) Pretesting; 4) Implementation; and 5) Evaluation and feedback.
Who are the big 3 in social media? ›In our new blog series, Social Media 101, we're going to take you through the basics of what each type of social media is, what features it has, and what it is best used for. Today we're covering what we like to call “The Big Three” – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What are 7 marketing types? ›The 7 Ps of Marketing
These seven are: product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people. As products, markets, customers and needs change rapidly, you must continually revisit these seven Ps to make sure you're on track and achieving the maximum results possible for you in today's marketplace.
What are the 4Ps of marketing? (Marketing mix explained) The four Ps are product, price, place, and promotion. They are an example of a “marketing mix,” or the combined tools and methodologies used by marketers to achieve their marketing objectives.
What is the best type of social media marketing? ›- Facebook. ...
- Instagram. ...
- Twitter. ...
- TikTok. ...
- Pinterest. ...
- LinkedIn. ...
- Snapchat.
Instead, consider focusing on the “Big Four” of social media, which includes Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. While it's never a bad idea to market on other social sites, focusing largely on the Big Four ensures the greatest possible marketing ROI.
What are the 7 C's of online marketing? ›In contrast to other marketing models, the 7 Cs Compass Model considers both the marketing strategies as well as the segment to which the strategies are being targeted. The seven Cs are Corporation, Commodity, Cost, Communication, Channel, Consumer and Circumstances.
What are the C's of marketing? ›The 4 C's of Marketing are Customer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. These 4 C's determine whether a company is likely to succeed or fail in the long run.
What are the 7 functions of marketing? ›- Promotion.
- Selling.
- Product management.
- Pricing.
- Marketing information management.
- Financing.
- Distribution.
What are the 5ps of marketing? ›
The 5 P's of marketing – Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People – are a framework that helps guide marketing strategies and keep marketers focused on the right things.
What are the 4Ps of social marketing? ›Most people have heard of the four P's used in social marketing: Product (key benefits, service or behavior change), Price (the cost of stopping an unhealthy behavior or adopting a healthy one), Place (the opportunities and access to products, services and places to engage in the behaviors), and Promotion ( ...