Social networks can be defined as digital platforms created by a community of different users with common interests, activities or relationships. A social network allows for the creation of connections between individuals or companies anywhere in the world, in other words, they are a channel for communicating and exchanging information.
Social media has been the focus of numerous controversies on the Internet, such as the lack of privacy. However, these platforms have also created new avenues for the relationship between companies and customers, innovating and increasing the way of interacting and advertising products and services.
Origin of social networks
To understand what social networks are and which are the most important ones, we must start with a little history about them.
Social networks began in the second half of the nineties with the creation of Classmates , considered the first social network, which aimed to connect former classmates virtually.
In 1997, SixDegrees was created, where you could create a profile and connect with friends and other users on the network. The popularity of this type of platform increased with the arrival of Facebook in 2004, where different social networks emerged with a greater number of users.
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Difference between Social Networks and Social Media
It is common to use these terms as synonyms, however, this is not true. Social media are the platforms where people or communities interact and socialize, with the aim of sharing ideas, news and various topics of common interest; it includes social networks , blogs, forums, multimedia, geolocation, among others. Its content is basically created by the community itself.
On the other hand, social networks were created with the aim of connecting people and creating a community with similar interests, where personal details are shared.
Advantages of using these fabulous digital tools
Nowadays, social networks offer numerous advantages, allowing them to position themselves as protagonists on the web. Every day, there is a growing number of companies and brands that are linked to social networks to interact with their customers and increase their visibility.
Among the main advantages we can highlight the following:
✅ They allow information to be shared instantly.
✅ They help show users the company's vision.
✅ They contribute to personalizing and humanizing the brand.
✅ They increase brand visibility.
✅ They help you learn more about your customer.
✅ They allow audience segmentation.
✅ They make low-budget advertising possible.
✅ They offer opportunities for career growth.
✅ They facilitate and boost online sales.
✅ They are a channel for learning, entertainment and information.
Types of social networks
We can segment social networks into two large groups depending on the audience they are aimed at, which are horizontal and vertical.
Horizontal social networks
These are those whose main objective is conversation about any topic, that is, their users do not have specific characteristics or interests.
In it you can find an open audience, which offers an opportunity to find a diverse audience.
Vertical social networks
They are aimed at specialized topics, finding users with common profiles or interests. Examples include LinkedIn (social network for professionals), SoundCloud (social network for musicians), among others.
Most used digital media
Facebook:
Recognized as the largest social network in the world, with users of all ages, genders, religions and locations, Facebook provides a variety of content in various formats, both text and audiovisual.
You can communicate with users through Messenger and create stories, consider it an excellent start for your digital strategy, if you want to increase your visibility and boost your sales. Considered the most complete social network, it is possible to create businesses, search for information, meet people, have entertainment, among others.
Instagram:
Without a doubt the most popular amongmillennials andcentennials , it provides audiovisual content, which has been shown to receive greater interaction than text content.
On Instagram you can highlight your creativity, post images, stories and recent reels to attract your target audience, offer your products or services and position your brand by improving your branding and engagement.
YouTube:
It has become one of the most popular social networks on the web, showing the impact of audiovisual content on engagement strategies. More than 500 million videos are viewed on YouTube every day.
With videos you can develop your brand identity, offer your products or services in action and in turn create a closer connection with your users.
LinkedIn:
Without a doubt, the largest and most popular social network for professionals. Ideal platform to connect, recruit talent and stay up to date in your area of expertise.
LinkedIn offers an opportunity to position your brand in your area of expertise and increase your visibility in the professional field. It is often used for sharing professional experiences in communities and other corporate activities.
Twitter:
Twitter has more than 250 million users, making it an ideal channel for communicating news, updates or promotions of products and services.
Tweets allow text formats with a maximum of 280 characters, links, images, videos, among others.
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WhatsApp:
One of the most recognized instant messaging social networks, where you can share images, videos and stories through WhatsApp status.
This platform also offers the WhatsApp Business service, designed for small and medium-sized businesses, with the aim of connecting users in real time, guaranteeing a fast and effective response.
Social networks of forums
On this type of network, you can find out what questions, interests, or opinions customers have on specific topics. Reddit and Quora are the most popular social networks for market research, and they also help with positioning on Google.
In conclusion , what are social networks and which are the most important? They have become an indispensable tool that you must include in your digital marketing strategy if your goal is to boost the visibility of your brand and obtain the best sales results for your business.
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