In a world with a constantly increasing use of social media, the variety and purpose of each respective platform of social media is important for many reasons. Within the business world, social media is used as a highly effective marketing tool and is often incorporated into marketing strategies for businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to self-owned and operated small businesses. Each social media platform has many different uses and different types of businesses use the platforms for different reasons. Keith Quesenberry, a marketing professor and researcher writes in his book, Social Media Strategy: Marketing and Advertising in the Consumer Revolution, “a social media strategy needs to take a step back and lay out a basic framework that is unique to the brand and its products, services, and customers” (2). In order to create an effective marketing strategy that incorporates social media, each company and its owners need to recognize the purpose and desired outcome of marketing through social media so that they may choose the appropriate platform for their intended use. This is particularly significant because if a company chooses a platform of social media that is not fitting for the products or services being marketed, the effectiveness of the company’s marketing strategy is decreased through improper use of a platform, or through use of an improper platform. The desirability of a company’s products or services could also decrease with the use of an ill-fitting platform. Social media is not universally effective or useful, which is why it is vital to explore the one which is most effective for marketing one’s respective company or product.. While some may be opposed to using social media for a marketing strategy because of its untraditional nature, it is a highly effective marketing tool, the numerous platforms of social media vary in use and outcome.  In order to choose and utilize the most effective platform for one’s business, three things must be taken into consideration, intended outcome of the marketing strategy, consumer population, and the product/service being marketed.

In Holly Paquette’s literary review titled “Social Media as a Marketing Tool: A Literature Review,” quotes Andreas M. Kaplan and Michael Haenlein who define social media as, “a group of Internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of user generated content” (3). Paquette goes on to explain that there are certain requirements that a website need to meet in order to be considered a social network. These requirements include user profiles, content, a method that permits users to connect with each other and post comments on each other’s pages, and join virtual groups based on common interests such as fashion or politics (Paquette 3). As the need for marketing increases in a world where there are endless distractions, social media and social networks as marketing tools plays a pivotal role in marketing strategies. Social media offers a reliable, readily-accessible, and universal platform for all marketing strategies and can be modified to fit an individual business’s needs. Because of this, a company can tailor its advertisements and marketing to attract and keep the attention of specific groups of people, making them more focused on one specific business or product, rather than getting distracted by other advertisements. For example, if I am online shopping for a new pair of jeans, and an advertisement pops up that displays what I think are the ideal jeans, I am going to focus my time on that website examining those jeans and products similar to those.  Additionally, the wide range of people that are affected by a company’s social media marketing is extremely diverse and through social media, stronger emotions and desires are created toward each product and more people around the world are able to understand a company’s product or service, without having to see it firsthand. The benefits to social media marketing are numerous; it is free for customers (making them more likely to utilize social media), reliable, and can be used in whatever way the company needs. In a study done by a Texas Tech University student named Trevor Bell in 2013, it was discovered that social media builds loyalty. Through the constant interaction over social media platforms, customers stay loyal to various brands, which proves the company’s marketing strategy to be successful. Overall, it is clear to see social media’s role in the marketing world and the necessity for it in this increasingly technological age. Though the uses of social media platforms for marketing strategies vary based on the consumer populations, product/service type, and intended outcome of a marketing strategy, there is no denying that it plays a vital role in marketing strategies today.

Each company’s intended use of social media has an effect on the practicality and usefulness of a specific social media platform. Different companies require different functions from social media platforms. For example, a design company may be better off using Pinterest as a marketing platform rather than twitter, because Pinterest allows for large images displaying the designs, as well as links to the website in which the design is being sold. Conversely, a restaurant may be better off using Twitter for a marketing strategy so that it can easily tweet out the specials for the day to its loyal followers. In Danielle Corcione’s article, “Social Media for Business: A Marketer’s Guide”, she writes, “Just because your business should be on social media, that doesn't mean you should be on every network. It's important that you choose and nurture the social platforms that work best for your business, so that you don't spread yourself too thin” (Corcione). An important step in using social media as a marketing platform is recognizing which platform will be most effective for your company, and whether your company will gain something from using that platform of social media. Scott Levy, author of “How to Choose the Best Social Media Platform for Your Business”, writes, “When it comes to choosing which social media platforms you'll utilize, select those that offer the best potential for reaching your ideal audience and broadcast the type of media you've decided is best suited for your company.” When identifying your target audience, it is also crucial to keep in mind which social media platforms your audience and consumers are already using and how to incorporate your business or product into those platforms. In Marci Martin’s “How To Create An Effective Marketing Plan,” she quotes Brett Farmiole, the founder of an internet marketing company called “Markitors”. Farmiole advises companies, “Figure out where your customers are spending their time, and set up shop on those platforms…” By recognizing those two factors, companies will be able to choose which platform will be most effective in their marketing strategy. 

One of the main platforms of social media that is used in marketing strategies is Facebook. Facebook provides a forum where companies can post pictures, status updates, and can connect to people all around the world. Additionally, people on Facebook can not only connect with their friends, but also with family, celebrities, businesses, organizations and more. Facebook’s versatility makes it an almost universal platform for social media marketing. It is a great starting point for a business because it has a wealth of options and is widely used by people of all different ages. In his article titled, The 7 Best Social Media Channels for Business Marketing, Justin Sachs writes, “[Facebook] provides an extraordinary medium for your business to connect with your prospective customers all around the world. And from an advertising perspective, it’s the easiest to manage and allows for the best possible targeting” (Sachs). Facebook’s simple layout and self-explanatory functions make it easy for even the least tech-savvy person to get the hang of it, which makes it an appealing platform to businesses. The more people who understand the platform, the more people there will be viewing their advertisements and pages on that social media platforms. While some pros of Facebook include its versatility, abundant features, and its popularity and diverse user population, there are also cons to Facebook. The cons include its time-consuming aspect as there is a lot to have to update constantly. Another con is that although the privacy settings are adjustable, there is limited privacy. Depending on a company’s intended outcome for their marketing strategy, Facebook’s versatility and easily understandable layout make it a desirable social media platform. Additionally, the consumer population using Facebook is wide-ranging, therefore a company seeking national or even international consumers could use Facebook to reach and advertise to those customers. Lastly, the various features that make up Facebook make this platform ideal for marketing many different and unique products or services. Overall, the generality of Facebook and its numerous functions allow it to be one of the most universal social media platforms for marketing.

Another platform to consider when incorporating social media into your marketing strategy is Twitter. Twitter allows companies to share short updates (140 characters or less), along with pictures, videos, links, polls and more. Twitter users can interact with other users by mentioning their usernames in their posts (often called a “tweet”). Twitter allows for a company’s posts to quickly go viral by twitter users sharing or “retweeting” a tweet that the company has posted. Often times, hashtags (catchphrases used to bring together tweets about one similar topic) start to trend and bring even more attention to the topic at hand, which can bring in a wide range of consumers. Twitter is also an effective platform for handling customer service. Twitter users can tweet at a company’s username to voice their concerns or share their admiration about a product or service. Another use for Twitter is to re-share tweets that are relevant to your business, and might make customers more interested in your product or service. This might make your business look more appealing as it shows you are interested in other businesses as well, not just your own. The pros for Twitter include its Hashtags and reply tweets, while its cons include the almost too fast-paced nature, and the character limit, which can lead to misinterpretation. Twitter is useful for companies with the intention of spreading general knowledge about their products and services. Additionally, a consumer population consisting of fast-paced, technologically savvy people is fitting for Twitter because of its constant updates and advanced features. Overall, a company trying to market a product or service that does not need a lot of explanation would find Twitter useful. 

Instagram is a great platform for social media marketing, but is also very specific in its use. Instagram is based entirely on photos and videos and users often post about travel, food, art, fashion, and advertisement. Instagram’s unique filters and editing tools allow for users to quickly enhance an image within the application before posting it. This platform is almost entirely mobile. Although there is an online version, it can only be used for viewing previous post, not posting new ones. Danielle Corcionce writes, “Instagram is another platform where more-artistic niches excel, and it may not be the best fit for your business, depending on your industry.” Instagram is an effective platform to display new designs, or show off new merchandise, but is less useful for conveying large amounts of information about an event or upcoming product. Additionally, Instagram can be used to post pictures from an event that show what the company’s involvement in the event was, and how it turned out. Overall, Instagram’s uses vary, but generally, more artistic and design-based businesses tend to use Instagram as their main social media platform for marketing. Pros of Instagram include its filters and editing tools, and its eye-catching display of images of videos. Conversely, cons include the limited access that it has because you cannot post pictures from a computer, and its lack of space for additional information.  If a company’s intended outcome of their marketing strategy is to display visuals such as images and videos of their products or services, Instagram is the ideal platform to do so. The emphasis on visuals on Instagram make this platform perfect for companies that need to display what their product is, what it looks like, or what its use it. Additionally, the consumer population that will be reached through Instagram is one that also has a visual emphasis in mind. Consumers follow company’s Instagram accounts in order to see images and videos of their products, so the consumer base is one who has interest in visual companies with visual products and services.

Similar to Instagram, Pinterest is an effective social media platform, but also limited in its uses. Justin Sachs advises, “Only use this channel if you have great images to share.” The visual nature of this platform allows artistic businesses to thrive, while other businesses may not find it quite as useful. This platform lets users to “pin” content on the site, which essentially lets them save the information and organize it by category. Often times pins include links to websites, blogs, or other useful information about the product or service being shown. It can be time-consuming to keep your boards and pins organized and relevant to your business. Most of the users are women and popular pins include information about DIY projects, fashion, exercise, beauty, photography and food. While businesses that specialize in other topics than just those might still find Pinterest a useful marketing tool, Pinterest is especially useful for businesses that deal with those specific topics. The pros of Pinterest include its visual aspect and access to other websites through Pinterest. The cons are that it is used by a very specific audience and that quality images are required in order to market effectively.  As previously stated, Pinterest is similar to Instagram in that its emphasis on visuals allows companies to display their products/services in a way that helps the consumers understand the specific uses. The consumer population includes people requesting information as well as visuals about the products being marketed. The product being marketed must be able to be presented in a visual way, or else Pinterest will not be an effective marketing strategy for that product. 

Lastly, YouTube is considered one of the most effective social media platforms for marketing. This is true for many reasons, but one main reason is that YouTube is not owned by Google. When searching for something on Google, videos on YouTube come up in the search results, allowing businesses to have more publicity simply by advertising on a site owned by the largest search engine on the internet. YouTube users can upload videos, watch videos, like videos, subscribe to channels and more. Furthermore, businesses can place ads, for their products or services, that will be played before, during, and after other videos. Frequently these ads cannot be skipped so YouTube viewers must sit through an entire ad in order to watch their intended video. YouTube tends to be useful for businesses which contain a “creative, visual or educational component” (Corcione). Although YouTube is used worldwide, it is the way in which you present the content of your videos that make consumers want to buy your product or service. Scott Levy, in his article “How to Choose the Best Social Media Platform for Your Business”

for Entrepreneur Magazine, writes, “The key to using YouTube effectively is to feature your product or service in an unforgettable way, and with millions of people now using YouTube, the bar is set very high.” The challenge is using YouTube effectively is figuring out how to uniquely market your product in a way that makes it appealing to consumers who view your videos. YouTube is helpful for businesses with a lot of visuals and as Levy writes, “Videos that show people how to do something, demonstrate your product or service, or introduce a new or unusual (visual) product can help you benefit from YouTube.” The visual aspect of the platform can be used to display the uses of various products. In Steven Olenski’s article, “7 Cost Effective Marketing Strategies for Growing a New Brand,” written for Forbes Magazine, he explains, “…videos are a great way to engage your audience visually and increase your brand’s visibility.” Pros of YouTube include that it is owned by Google, the option to place ads in videos, and the ability to have more time to display one’s product or service. Cons of YouTube include its necessity for uniqueness of each video, the limitations for videos created by YouTube and how time consuming and tedious it is to create each video. Overall, YouTube is an effective marketing platform when used in a unique and creative way that convinces consumers to purchase or invest in a company’s products or services. The consumer population that will be most affected by YouTube videos are attentive customers looking to find out more information about a product or service. If a consumer is willing to sit through a lengthy video explaining a product, they are likely to buy that product. YouTube can be used for companies whose goal is to provide ample information about their product or services. Additionally, the product must have some visual aspect to it in order to be presented through a video. 

In conclusion, using social media as a marketing tool is not only an effective resource, but an almost necessary one in our technologically-advanced society. A business or company first must determine if social media is the correct route for their marketing strategy. If so, then the company must then conclude what their expectations are for their marketing strategy and who their target audience is. Once that is determined, a company can research about the tastes and preferences of their target audience in order to come to a conclusion about which social media platform will be most effective. Additionally, it is important for a company to choose a platform that aligns with the type of product or services that they are trying to market. Some companies call for more visual platforms of social media to market their products, while other companies may require a more informational platform. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are all effective when it comes to marketing through social media, but the most effective platforms are ones that are used in a way that corresponds with the product being marketed. Facebook is great for a company looking for an all-around social media source where pictures and videos can be posted in addition to status updates and live feeds. YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest are useful for visual companies wanting to display images and videos of their products or services. Twitter provides a more informational forum where companies can post short updates about products and upcoming events. While all of these platforms are extremely useful in a marketing strategy for a business, three things ultimately decide whether or not a social media platform is useful for a company’s marketing strategy, intended outcome of the marketing strategy, consumer population, and the product/service being marketed.
