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Which Social Media Network is the One for You?

April 7, 2014 by

While I usually end a blog post with a question, today I want to do a hand stance and begin with a question.

Sure, everyone has their favorite social media network, and for different purposes.  But, what:

“If you could choose just one social media network, which would you choose? And, why?”

I do not mean this as a unashamed attempt for engagement, for the most important and possibly interesting part of your answer is not in the “which one” but in the “why.”

Nevertheless, I would like to wrap the question in a scenario for you to better frame your thinking.

“If alone on a deserted island, which one social media network . . .”

Of course, this defies logic and makes little sense. If alone and desolate then you would not likely have an Internet connection and surely no Wi-Fi.

“If you were the last person on earth, which one social media network . . .”

Yes, I know. In this scenario, there would be no one left to be social with. Unfortunately, with all the anti-social behavior going on in social networking land, it may take a few days for some to notice.

Perhaps a more futuristic scenario is appropriate:

Social Media

Now, which one social media network would you choose?

As a reminder, yes you will need to choose just one social media network or platform for all your personal and/or business use.

This decision may require you to weigh the importance of how you use social media.

If needing some thought rearrangement, here are a few questions to ponder:

1. Scope of Use?

Do you primarily use social media networks for personal, business, or both?

Is one use more important than the other?

Is there one social media network that can fulfill both needs?

2. Prior Success?

Are there social media networks where you are minimally active?

Are there social media networks that have yet to provide a noticeable benefit?

You should also consider if there is one social media network where you are more comfortable, proficient, or successful in its use?

Is there one social media network where you will find the most of your friends or personal contacts?

Is there one social media network where you will find the most of your customers or business contacts/clients?

And, which one social media network would the majority of your preferred friends, personal contacts, customers, or business contacts also choose?

3. Life Situation? 

Is there a greater need for a particular social media network at this time of your life cycle?

Does your business or career depend upon the engagement found with Google+?

Can your personal life and connections with friends and family survive without Facebook?

Are you looking for a job or seeking a career change, thus needing LinkedIn?

Is your most used personal learning network (PLN) or source for everyday or career-related news come from Twitter?

My Answer.

While I primarily use Facebook and Instagram for family and friends, there is a substitute: phone and email.  Since I mostly know my Facebook connections personally, there are alternate old school means to reach them.

For more professional and work reasons, I am most socially active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. If truly pressed to pick one, I would have to choose LinkedIn.

Why do I choose LinkedIn?

1. It provides me with personal/friends and professional connections.

2. It provides a PLN and opportunity to learn and obtain news (status updates, Pulse, Groups).

3. It provides the best opportunity for professional personal branding.

4. And lastly, LinkedIn provides good opportunities for professional engagement, particularly through LinkedIn Groups.

The Take-Away.

Fortunately, we live in a country with a freedom of choice and have a marketplace that offers many choices for social media networking.

Each social media network/platform has its strengths and weaknesses and fulfills different needs in our personal and professional or work lives.

However, there are two reasons why you may not be getting the most from social media networking:

1. You use too few.

2. Or, you use too many.

If you use too few or fail to occasionally experiment, this limited use may result in a missed opportunity to discover the most beneficial social media platform for your personal or business needs.

Social media networks are constantly changing, and new ones pop up faster than most can read about them.

Conversely, if you are active on too many social media networks at one time, you can quickly find yourself overextended and overwhelmed, become a lazy social content curator, and fail to reap the higher level personal and business benefits of engagement on social media.

As to use of social media networks, you are better off as a master of few, than an amateur of many.

Back to You.

If you could choose just one social media network, which would you choose? And, why?

 

Image credit: Denny McCorkle.

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Denny McCorkle @DennyMcCorkle

Professor of Marketing, Monfort College of Business at University of Northern Colorado
As a nationally recognized and award winning Marketing Professor in the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado, I help students, professors, and professionals to gain a Digital Self Marketing Advantage through the use of social media marketing for personal branding, job search, skills development, career advancement, and life-long learning.
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