Over the last several months, many people have asked, “What are the best social media sites.” The answer; of course, is very much dependent on ones goals. With literally hundreds of social media portals, deciding on the most beneficial media for a respective goal is more difficult than the marketing conundrums of the pre-Internet era. Social media sites (also known as social networking sites) are becoming more and more popular. Many people have a profile on at least one site, and some have a profile on several.

A few of the sites, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are well-known, and their names are very recognizable. They are not, however, the only ones out there. Linked In and Bebo are two other examples of social media sites that are available. In addition, dating websites such as Match.com and eHarmony.com, just to give two examples, are also considered social media sites. Click Here to Read More!

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES CHANGE FREQUENTLY

Social media sites undergo frequent changes and updates. These can be as simple as a name change; for instance, MyLife was formerly known as Reunion.com.

Others change or narrow their initial focus so that it attracts a specific audience. LinkedIn is one such site; while it is open to everyone, its primary function is to link those in the business and professional world.

TODAY’S “HOT” SITE MAY NOT BE TOMORROW’S “HOT” SITE

Some sites may see their popularity decline. What was considered the best or most popular site today may no longer be so tomorrow or in the near future. Just as popularity in music and other genres come and go, so too do social networking sites. Examples of this phenomenon can be seen by the old-school BBS systems such as CompuServe and other media portals of yesterday.

BE FLEXIBLE

Because changes and trends do occur rapidly, social networking site users should allow themselves to be flexible. If you are satisfied with your current social networking site, by all means, continue to patronize it.

However, you may wish to browse other sites to see what they have to offer. In this way, should you ever decide to change sites, you will already have some knowledge of the options available to you.

A FEW OF THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

As mentioned earlier, some social networking sites are more popular or well-known that others. Among these are YouTube, Linked In, Twitter, and MySpace.

YouTube allows users to share video clips that have been submitted both by well-known people and “average Joes”. Therefore, the content is always changing. Video clips, especially those that are especially hilarious or entertaining, can sometimes be posted so fast that it is not uncommon to hear someone say, “Expect to see that on YouTube in a little while.”

LinkedIn is considered a social networking site; however, its main purpose is to link those in the business, industrial, and professional fields together.

Facebook is another popular social networking website. Its original name was thefacebook, and was actually created for use by students attending Harvard University. Its rapidly-growing popularity, however, caused it to become more widespread. Facebook was originally intended to be used almost exclusively by high school and college students, as well as adults. For this reason, an age limit of 13 years old was set as the youngest age at which you can become a member.

MySpace was created in 2003 by Chris DeWolf and Tom Anderson. Using the concepts introduced on Friendster, another social networking site, the founders adapted them for use on theirs. The site quickly gained users. Part of the reason for MySpace’s popularity was and still is the fact that it is considered an open site. In other words, the users essentially control it, and can post whatever they wish on their respective pages.

Twitter is the relative newcomer on the social networking site scene. It got its actual start in March, 2006, as Twttr, and was created by members of a company then known as Odeo. Today, having undergone some site tweaking and personnel changes, that company is now called Obvious Corp., and brings us the site that we now know as Twitter. The most outstanding feature of Twitter is the ability of users to upload information in real time; i.e. as it happens. Messages, or posts, are limited to 140 characters, which allows for the rapid sending and receiving of information.

CAN I LINK SEVERAL SITES TOGETHER?

You may be someone who wants to have the advantages of all of the most popular sites. However, what you do not want to do, nor probably do not have time to do, is post to each individual site every day. Is there some way to link several sites together?

The answer is yes, if the sites have or allow linking capabilities. Facebook and MySpace are two that do so. Consultants, such as Kevin Taylor, can also provide useful tools for syndication; or, maintaining several social media sites without having to re-post information to each one individually.

Applications on social networking sites that allow linking are provided for users to perform the function. For instance, you can link your Facebook account with your MySpace account by logging in to Facebook, then going to Settings – Account Settings. From there, it is a matter of clicking on the account item to which you wish to link.

USING YOUTUBE AND MAKING VIDEOS WITH ONLINE ANIMATION TOOLS

YouTube is a video sharing website. You can either download videos from other sources, or you can make your own videos to share with friends, family, or whomever you wish. Using online animation tools such as those found on animine.com or gifworks.com, just to name a couple, can make your YouTube video more enjoyable. This can be done by first making the video then going to one of the animation websites.

Your video must have a URL before it can be converted to animation. From there it is simply a matter of typing in the URL and following the directions. Also, some animation tools have a limit on how much of the video can be converted, such as 10 seconds. If this is the case, you will have to specify which part of the video you want to convert.

In summary, there are social media portals for every interest and goal. It is important to create an all-inclusive social media marketing plan just as one would create an integrated campaign for any other endeavor. Plan and review frequently to ensure your initial choice remains on the list of ‘hot’ sites in order to accomplish your goals!