Advantages and disadvantages of major social media platforms

Social Media

Facebook

Facebook is used by over a billion people, making it have the largest reach of any other social media network ("The Top 20 Valuable Facebook Statistics," 2014). User numbers increase rapidly, too. For individuals, this may not mean much but for companies, Facebook can offer unparalleled access to potential consumers. It is also easy to tailor ads to specific target demographics, and track user data including times of day users are more likely to be online ("The Top 20 Valuable Facebook Statistics," 2014). Because Facebook has a robust platform, marketers can also target ads to users based on their likes and interests, and their associations with related products or services. Gender, age, and other demographics are also easy to locate because most Facebook users connect with their friends and do not use pseudonyms or avatars. In other words, the people on Facebook tend to represent themselves accurately, which is a boon for marketers who need access to genuine consumer data. The disadvantages of Facebook follow from these issues in that users have little privacy, and whatever privacy was enjoyed has been steadily dwindling. Although Facebook is not going anywhere, users might soon become tired of the encroachments on their privacy.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has the advantage of focusing on professional networking. Users create polished profiles, and can network based on the principle of having a previously established connection. This requires users to establish links, discouraging artificial network growth. While LinkedIn is not necessarily a marketing tool for companies, it can be effective for freelancers, or those looking to expand their reach or their social network. The disadvantages of LinkedIn include the inability to connect with potentially valuable contacts who are not yet in one's social circle, the lack of applicability for advertisers, and the emphasis on resumes.

Instagram

The benefits of Instagram are its photo-centric interface, allowing for a rich interaction that does not depend on verbal communication. Thus, it transcends culture and language. The disadvantage is that it does not enable communication as well as verbal social media. Instagram has limited scope on its own.

Tumblr

Tumblr allows for microblogging, and has the capacity for media richness. Users can upload photos or write blog posts. However, the reach of Tumblr is far from what Facebook is, and there is less potential for marketing. Interactions with others is also limited.

Vine

Like Instagram, Vine is limited in its scope because of the focus on video content. While it can be an adjunct to other social media, few companies or individuals would rely solely on Vine as a means of communicating with others.