Social Media Overload?

I recently stumbled upon a fascinating article on PR Daily. It is called, “A tweet of a Vine of an Instagram of a Tumblr post of a Facebook post of a tweet.” Confused? So was I for about a minute. You can take a look at the article yourself here.

While I found this post interesting, it also made me think. All of these new and innovative social media platforms have definitely improved the quality of life, and business. However, a new social network is introduced nearly everyday. Is there such a thing as social media overload? 

Less than 10 years ago, platforms like Facebook and Twitter were unheard of. Today, they are almost a necessity for businesses of all professions. While they have become genuine assets, much like Instagram, Tumblr, and Vine, where do we draw the line? We cannot stop the rapid development of new social media platforms, but we can be diligent in which ones we choose to utilize. Now that we have so many options available to us, your job is to learn how to filter which platforms will best serve the needs of your company, or even your personal branding. Here are a few simple tips on how to narrow down your social media search.

• Who uses each platform: This is probably this most basic question to address first. Once you pinpoint the audience of each social network, you can figure out which network will cater to your audience.
• Who is your audience: Do you want to cater to teenagers, homemakers, or photographers? You have to determine your audience in order to determine which platform will cater to them best. 
• What is your goal: Does your business need to attract a new audience? Do you want to showcase your product or services using video instead of just photography? This also tailors which platforms will be necessary in order to achieve those goals. 

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of social networks. Not all platforms are equal and not all platforms are necessary for every business. Do not get overwhelmed. Take your time to develop how you want your social media to work for you. 

Which social networks do you utilize already? We want to know!