UNIT – III

SOCIAL NETWORK SITES-

TWITTER-
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking service on which users post and
interact with messages known as “tweets”, owned by American company Twitter,
Inc. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, however, unregistered
users have the ability to only read tweets that are publicly available. Users interact
with Twitter through browser or mobile frontend software, or programmatically via
its APIs. Prior to April 2020, services were accessible via SMS. Tweets were
originally restricted to 140 characters, but the limit was doubled to 280 for non-
CJK languages in November 2017. Audio and video tweets remain limited to 140
seconds for most accounts.
Twitter, a social networking site launched in 2006, is undoubtedly one of the most
popular social media platforms available today, with 100 million daily active users
and 500 million tweets sent daily
What is Twitter?
In 2006, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, had an idea -- he would create a
SMS-based communications platform in which friends could keep tabs on each
other by updating statuses. In the beginning, Twitter was an idea all-too-similar to
texting.
The idea evolved, in large part due to brainstorming sessions with Dorsey's co-
founder, Evan Williams.
On March 21, 2006, Jack sent the first tweet, which read -- "just setting up my
twttr."
What is Twitter used for?
Twitter is a social media site, and its primary purpose is to connect people and
allow people to share their thoughts with a big audience. Twitter allows users to
discover stories regarding today's biggest news and events, follow people or
companies that post content they enjoy consuming, or simply communicate with
friends. Additionally, PR teams and marketers can use Twitter to increase brand
awareness and delight their audience"
Twitter for Marketers

Twitter can be a very helpful platform for growing a following and providing your
audience with valuable content before they even become customers. The character limit
can also help you create quick-and-compelling advertisements, like a shout-out to a
webinar your business is conducting, or a free e-book.

It's important to note, you can use Twitter to advertise your products or services, but you
should do so sparingly. Like any social media marketing strategy, your primary focus
should be on attracting an audience with useful content and growing brand awareness.

Additionally, you can use Twitter to connect with your audience in personal and
meaningful ways. If someone mentions one of your products or services, you can "like"
or "retweet" their comment. Alternatively, if a customer complains about your services
on Twitter, you can reach out to rectify the situation in real-time.

LINKEDIN-
inkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business
community and has plenty of advantages. It allows professionals to connect with
each other, share information, and find job opportunities.
LinkedIn has over 830 million members in over 200 countries and territories.
There are many benefits to using LinkedIn for social networking. Here are a few of
the most important ones:
1. Expand your network: LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people you
know, as well as people you don't know but would like to know. The more
people you connect with, the larger your network will be. This can be
helpful for finding job opportunities, getting referrals, and staying up-to-date
on industry news.
2. Build your reputation: The way you use LinkedIn can help you build your
reputation as a professional. When you share valuable content, participate in
discussions, and get involved in groups, you're showing potential employers
and clients that you're an expert in your field.
3. Find job opportunities: LinkedIn is a popular platform for recruiters to find
and connect with potential job candidates. If you're looking for a new job,
you can use LinkedIn to create a profile, search for jobs, and connect with
recruiters.
 4. Learn about new opportunities: LinkedIn is a great way to learn about
new opportunities in your field. You can read articles, watch videos, and
attend virtual events to stay up-to-date on the latest trends.
5. Promote your business: If you have a business, you can use LinkedIn to
promote your products or services to potential customers. You can create a
company profile, share content, and connect with relevant professionals.
Here are some tips for you if you're a beginner and using LinkedIn for social
networking:
1. Make sure your profile is complete, interesting, and up-to-date. This
includes your headline, summary, skills, and work experience.
2. Use keywords in your profile so that people can find you when they're
searching for professionals in your field.
3. Share valuable content on a regular basis. This could be articles, blog posts,
videos, or even just your thoughts on industry news.
4. Participate and pitch in discussions and groups. This is a great way to
connect with other professionals and learn about new opportunities.
5. Get involved in events. LinkedIn hosts a variety of virtual and in-person
events that you can attend to network with other professionals.
6. Reach out to people you want to connect with. Don't be afraid to send a
personalized message to someone you admire or who could be a valuable
connection for you.

What is LinkedIn?

When most people talk about “Social Media,” they only concentrate
on Facebook and Twitter. While these are the biggest social media
sites, they are certainly not the only ones doing well. LinkedIn has
managed to gather approximately 100 million users and is now one of
the most influential social media networks on the internet.

You have probably received an invitation to LinkedIn from a friend or

peer over the past few years. Did you accept? Do you even have a
LinkedIn account? If not, you are missing out on a huge networking
opportunity.

Many local businesses ignore this platform simply because they don’t
understand how powerful it can be for exposing and growing their
businesses.

LinkedIn is the most popular social networking sites when it comes to

online “business networking”. It is a platform that allows business
people and professionals all over the world, regardless of their
industry, to connect with other professionals.

It is a great environment where individuals connect with multiple like-

minded individuals who share interests in the business and
professional world. LinkedIn users can even display updates on recent
projects and give other users an opportunity to see what they are
working on.

The aim of the connection is to share information, market products

and services, find jobs, form business-to-business relationships, and
much more. LinkedIn is basically free to use, but has premium paid
packages that contain more functionality.

LinkedIn works similar to other social networks. You join by simply

signing up and then creating a profile which should include any
information about yourself that you want to share; such as,
employment history, education, achievements, and more. You can
then easily link your account to other social network sites, websites
and blogs to increase exposure to your profile.

LinkedIn Statistics

Statistics aggregated by Amodiovalerio verde show the following

numbers:
  LinkedIn has approximately 147 million members.

 The standard Linked in member is aged 25 to 54 years old.

 66% of LinkedIn members are located in Europe and N.

America.

 LinkedIn’s members have grown by 45% worldwide

compared to January 2011.

 Over 40% of members of LinkedIn are employees in

companies that employ 10,000+ employees.

Quantcast has the following statistics:

 LinkedIn has more than doubled their monthly visits to 94.3

million in Sept 2011 from 45.8 million in 2010.

 Quantcast breaks down LinkedIn visitors to addicts, regulars

and passersby. Addicts account for 1% of members and will
use LinkedIn on a daily basis for interaction. Regulars account
for 33% of the users and will use the site for interaction more
than once but less than 30 times in a period of one month.
Passersby accounts for the other 66% and they will visit the
site or interact with media only once in a period of one
month.

 Approximately 26% of LinkedIn members are between the

ages of 18 and 34, while members between the ages of 35
and 50 account for 70% of total members.
  Approximately 75% of members are college graduates and
roughly 39% of LinkedIn members earn more than $100,000
every year.

What this Means for Your Business

From these numbers, you can draw a simple conclusion; LinkedIn is an

important part of social media that can boost your business if
approached properly. LinkedIn is here to stay so you can confidently
direct your efforts to improving your business through this powerful
social media tool.

Imagine being able to keep track of industry developments and

related news just by logging into your LinkedIn account. Connecting
with other businesses in your industry can prove to be a very
profitable thing. It provides great opportunities in terms of business
ventures that would have been missed without it.

For instance, if you run a Fashion Design business, you can connect
with groups in this line of business. Doing so will allow you to gain
access to a wealth of information as well as connect with other related
businesses in that field, such as marketers and distributors who can
help expand your company even further.

If you are searching for highly qualified employees, then LinkedIn is

one way to find them. LinkedIn is a platform that has a large number
of freelancers and job-seekers who possess skills that can take your
business to new horizons.

The success of LinkedIn is fueled by the profile you create and how
much you reach out to other people.

In other words, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are
more geared towards “social networking,” while LinkedIn is more
geared towards “business connections.”
With multiple opportunities in hand, small business owners have the
power to better their businesses using LinkedIn. It is a great marketing
tool that is worth learning if you are serious about growing your
business.

With so many different social networks on the internet, it may be hard

for you to decide which ones you should use. While LinkedIn may not
seem important, it could be the missing link you need to take your
business to the next level.

By now, you should have a much clearer understanding of why Social

Media Marketing is so important for the success of your local business.
If most of your customers and prospects are spending a lot of time
there, there is no reason your business should not have a presence
there. It’s almost like leaving money on the table.

PHOTO SHARING SITES-

A website used to store and share photos. Users upload their pictures to the
site, which are stored on the server and made available to friends and family
via personal Web pages. Prints and other accessories can be ordered, which is
the motivation for publishing the site.
1. INSTAGRAM-
Possibly the most well-known photo sharing app with over 1 billion users as
of 2023. Instagram is the go-to choice for general users, hobbyists,
professional photographers, and celebrities.
If you are interested in reaching a wide audience or sharing your photos with
friends and family, the social media aspect of likes and comments will help
you achieve your goal of sharing your photos with the world.
Instagram's privacy setting allows you to control who can interact with and
view your photos, which is recommended for controlling who can see, view
and interact with the information you share online.
It is also important to familiarize yourself with Instagram's privacy policy, as
Instagram retain certain rights to the photos you share, leading to
controversies surrounding their privacy and data handling policies.
Despite its popularity, Instagram does not offer the safety and privacy of
other, more secure photo apps that keep your photos and other files private
and secure so if you lose your account. It is possible that if you lose access to
your Instagram account, you also lose your photos.
Instagram Pricing
 Instagram is a free platform, but you can subscribe to your favorite
creators at a cost they choose if you are one of their loyal followers.
Instagram's strengths:

 Integration with Facebook, which allows to cross promote content

 Use of hashtags as identifier which allows your pictures and videos to be
easily found by other users
 Many filters available to quickly and easily modify images
 In general instagram pictures are higher quality than in other similar platforms
 Public interaction. People can easily follow their friends and family as well as
comment and like their photos. Users can tag their contacts in their pics and
videos. Some people have become famous through Instagram.
 When compared to Snapchat, Instagram allows permanence of the content.
You could view your photos and those your contacts years after they were
shared. In Snapchat no matter how much you like the videos or pics, they are
gone forever after viewing.
 Instagram's core audience is predominantly young but covers a wider age
range than Snapchat.

2. SNAPCHAT-
Snapchat is a photo and video messaging app launched by three Stanford
University students in September 2011. Users can take photos and record
videos and send them to a list of contacts. Snapchat's photographs and videos
are known as "Snaps". The main innovation introduced by this mobile app is
that photos and videos are erased automatically in the devices of the
recipients shortly after being viewed. Snapchat grew very fast among young
users, who often used it to send selfies and sexually explicit messages and
short videos, also known as "sexting". In four years, Snapchat has reached
more than 100 million active users who send around 400 million Snaps a day.
Snapchat is a photo-sharing service with one key distinguishing feature: the
photos you send disappear. Seconds after opening "snaps," users can no
longer access them and the images are deleted from the company's servers.
Snapchat is an ephemera generating and sharing machine.
There are ways around the disappearance: a user can screenshot the image,
but when the receiver does, the sender is informed
Snapchat's advantages:
 Snapchat helps creating a sense of urgency and immediacy. Timing is
core to the use of Snapchat.
 Discretion. Snapchat allows sharing more freely pictures and videos
that can convey a particular state of mind or feeling. Since the content
will be erased within 10 seconds after being viewed, the sender does
not need to worry about these photos or videos being displayed again
later in a different context.
 The receipients tend to be more attentive to the picture and videos
received than in other photo sharing apps, where they know the photos
and videos will always be available.
 Snapchat is growing very fast and its users show great levels of
engagement.
 Young people and college students are the core audience of Snapchat.
 Although the videos and content are gone forever, they may leave very
intense memories in their recipients. Many people value higher a single
intense experience than chance to be exposed several times to the same
content.
3. PINTEREST-
Pinterest is a social curation website for sharing and categorizing images
found online. The site is described in its own content as a visual
bookmarking site. Pinterest is a portmanteau of the words pin and interest.

While the focus of the site is visual, Pinterest requires brief descriptions.
The service was founded by Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp and Ben
Silbermann. It launched as a closed beta in March 2010. Membership was
initially invitation-only; it is now open to the general public.
Silbermann pitched Pinterest as a "catalog of ideas" rather than a social
networking platform. He said the emphasis is on empowering users to "go
out and do that thing." The site has become a popular social media
platform.
How does Pinterest work?
Using the Pinterest app, users can add a "Pin it" button to
their browser and then select and "pin" online images to virtual pinboards
on Pinterest. Users create boards to organize images into categories.
Pinterest categories include architecture, art, DIY and crafts, fashion, food
and drink, home décor, science and travel, among other options.
Clicking a Pinterest image leads to the original source. The following are
some examples:
 Clicking on a picture of a pair of shoes links to a site where they can be
purchased.
 An image of blueberry pancakes links to the recipe.
 A picture of a whimsical birdhouse links to the assembly instructions.
Users can browse and search image content. They can also follow other
users' Pinterest boards and specific image selections, as well as like and
repin other users' pins.
To find boards to pin to, users can search for them or scroll through their
home feed.
Pinterest also includes a visual search or reverse image search feature
called Lens. Lens lets users search Pinterest based on a picture taken from
their camera or from the camera roll on a mobile phone. Pinterest
uses machine learning to focus in on the main object of the photo and
return matching search results.
Useful Pinterest terms and features include the following:
 A pin is any content shared on Pinterest.
 Pinners are Pinterest users.
 A board is where users organize their Pins.
 A group board lets users contribute to a board created by another user,
who grants contributors permission to do so.
 Pincodes are like QR codes for Pinterest. They let users share Pinterest
accounts.
What is Pinterest used for?
Pinterest is used to identify and share image and video content. It exposes
users to new ideas, products and content and lets them share what they
find with other users.

Pinterest users pin images and videos of interest to pin boards. They also
can discover and curate other people's content. The website is used to find
inspiration, learn a new skill and shop for products using ideas from
Pinterest content.

Businesses use Pinterest to showcase products and services and market to

users with aligned interests and hobbies. Business accounts provide access
to Pinterest analytics, advertising services and exclusive content formats.
Other platforms, like Etsy, Instagram and YouTube, can be linked to
Pinterest so pins from those platforms can be attributed to the business.
Pinterest tags can be used to track the actions visitors take on a website after
seeing a company's Pinterest advertisement. The tag is a piece of code
embedded in a website. Tags help businesses measure campaign performance
and optimize conversions. What is Pinterest used for?
Pinterest is used to identify and share image and video content. It exposes
users to new ideas, products and content and lets them share what they find
with other users.

Pinterest users pin images and videos of interest to pin boards. They also can
discover and curate other people's content. The website is used to find
inspiration, learn a new skill and shop for products using ideas from Pinterest
content.

Businesses use Pinterest to showcase products and services and market to

users with aligned interests and hobbies. Business accounts provide
access to Pinterest analytics, advertising services and exclusive content
formats. Other platforms, like Etsy, Instagram and YouTube, can be linked to
Pinterest so pins from those platforms can be attributed to the business.

Pinterest tags can be used to track the actions visitors take on a website after
seeing a company's Pinterest advertisement. The tag is a piece of code
embedded in a website. Tags help businesses measure campaign
performance and optimize conversions.

Benefits of using Pinterest

The benefits of using Pinterest as a marketing tool for small businesses include the
following:

 Increase customer base. A large number of active users visit Pinterest, many with
the intention of buying something.

 Spot emerging trends. Small business owners can follow influencers in their
industry to learn about new trends.
 Drive traffic. Pinterest traffic can be funneled to a company's website. Well-
optimized pins are likely to gain many impressions and repins.

 Gain insights from analytics. Pinterest business accounts provide information on

impressions, engagements, clicks, views and other relevant statistics.

 Targeted ads. Pinterest lets users create targeted ad campaigns that target a
specific user interest and help create brand awareness.
Challenges of using Pinterest
Using Pinterest for business comes with challenges:

 Time-consuming. Curating Pinterest can be time-consuming.

 Niche market. Pinterest's user base is narrower than other social media sites; its
demographics are predominantly women between the ages of 25-50. This social
media marketing segment may be too narrow for some businesses.

 Visual platform. Marketers should have a visual strategy to use Pinterest to its
full potential.

 Not a sales tool. Pinterest was originally designed to inspire users and show them
new ideas. Businesses must provide content that informs and inspires users
rather than attempts to directly sell products.

 Weak learning content. Many Pinterest marketing strategy courses lack depth
and are out of date; these can lead small business owners astray.

SOCIAL MEDIA REPUTATION MANAGEMENT-

Social media online reputation management is the proactive use of social media
channels to promote your brand and build, nurture and maintain consumer trust. It
combines continuous social media reputation monitoring with active community
engagement to get as many people talking positively about your brand as possible.
When done right, social media brand reputation management can steer your
business toward the right course. On the other hand, misguided reputation
management in social media can adversely impact not only your brand perception
but also your long-term profitability.
Don’t let an ill-advised reputation management social media strategy taint your
company image and disrupt revenue generation. Draft a thorough online reputation
management social media plan and attract loyal supporters across channels,
including Facebook and Instagram.
Whether you’re seeking to maintain a stellar brand reputation social media image
or repair your damaged reputation, we have the experience and skill set to improve
trust in your brand. Get in touch with us to find the right brand reputation
management social media service for your business.
Why Is Reputation Management Important for Social Media?
Statistics show that 32.2 percent of businesses struggle to reach and engage
with their target audience in this increasingly competitive digital landscape. As
social media usage continues to grow worldwide, brands face a bigger challenge of
driving brand engagement and building customer loyalty.
An integrated social media marketing and online reputation management strategy
enable you to humanize your brand. And businesses that project their brand with
greater authenticity on social media create strong customer relationships built on
trust, advocacy and community.
Additionally, laser-focused reputation management on social media allows you to:
Increase Market Value
A company’s online reputation accounts for roughly 63 percent of its market
value (Weber Shandwick). This means businesses that earn a good reputation
social media standing boast higher referral and conversion rates from happy
customers. Positive brand reputation social media reviews, in particular, are a great
resource for convincing leads to convert.
Ensure Business Continuity
Controversies and PR crises cause public outcries that lead to brands getting
boycotted, but there’s a way to mitigate their effects and prevent irreversible
reputational damage. By prioritizing your brand reputation management social
media strategy, you establish a strong bond with customers that encourages loyalty
to your brand even when it’s under attack.
Protect Your Brand Image
According to a BrightLocal study, 93 percent of people use reputation social
media reviews to decide whether a company is trustworthy. When you manage
your social media reputation, you can ensure no false information can damage your
credibility. More importantly, you create a transparent and personable brand
identity that makes people more inclined to do business with you.
Build a Robust Brand Community
Any social media and reputation management expert knows a focused reputation
management social media strategy contributes to brand loyalty, and loyal brand
advocates are extremely valuable. An Adobe Digital Index report shows loyal
customers generate about 40 percent of revenue for online stores, and repeat
customers are 50 percent more likely to refer your brand to their network.
Improve Search Rankings
Reputation management in social media gets your content in front of a wider
audience and drive traffic to your website. It gives you multiple platforms to share
your content, increase brand exposure and rank for your target search terms. If
you’re seeing lower engagement rates and fewer post interactions, now’s the best
time to rethink your social media marketing and online reputation management
efforts.
Create Positive Brand Experiences
There is no better platform for customer service than social media. Reputation
management on social media allows you to encourage direct brand interactions,
identify the problematic aspects of your business and improve them accordingly.
Additionally, a proactive social media review management and strategy will earn
your company respect and a favorable brand reputation online.