Why and How to be Strategic and Intuitive When Choosing the Best Social Media Platforms for Your Brand or Business

Let’s face it.

Whether we want to accept it or not, it’s a fact that can’t be ignored: The online world is just as much a part of the world we know (and used to know offline-before the invention of the World Wide Web) but better.

Whereas old, analog life was governed by the FCC and sectioned off by local and syndicated means and regions-serving information to you by radio and television only; the Internet became the nucleus that conjoined all regions the world over.

What does that mean?

Digital became the dam and the bridge and brought the world together by phones, laptops/computers, tablets, and other mobile devices. Radio and television now has to play the Internet’s game and reside there (via websites).

Before social media, (via websites/www’s) the Internet gave way to a platform and enabled businesses, (radio and television) and brands to maintain their brick and mortar establishments digitally-but too- provide convenient access to their clients, patients and customers online (while enabling them to have reciprocal access to them).

In walked social media and the marriage of social media to the Internet began. This new way of socializing made it easier for people to do pretty much everything they needed to do and have with the touch of a button-all the while, being able to socialize online, in ways even greater than offline.

But while there are more people (with Internet access) online and with social media accounts, there aren’t nearly as many digital space brands, blogs and businesses that serve as television and radio online–broadcasting businesses and brand’s product(s) or service(s) to the millions socializing and treking across the Internet in search of information and being in the know about news, politics, popular culture and lifestyle.

That’s where OSFMag.com comes in!

OSFMag is a lifestyle, entertainment and news media digital infoplugger of products/brands and services the world wants, needs, and wants to know about while at home, or moving around and about.

While more people have social media accounts, not even a third of the billions of online/social media users run websites (online) to get to them-what they need to know [about] that’s going on in the real world, politics, entertainment and life and style. However, those billions of people the world over are in search for these necessities and a places to go on a regular basis (while online socializing or taking care of business on the Internet).

That is where the world of social media vs. online news  and website (like OSFMag)’s lines in the sand are verrrrrry distinct.  

The devil is in THESE details:

Post mid-millennium (mid 2000’s-post MySpace), when social media e.g Facebook, Twitter etc., took over, the common thread that brands and businesses ran with was that the more the followers, friends; the more social media users (celebs and even more Internet celebs) could market their products and services. More and more 2016-2017 to current) as brands and businesses are discovering the ROI (return on investments are turning in hardly any of the profit they paid to market their products and services), the (seemingly) transparent follower and friend count began to rear its ugly head and thorns: They can be bought-and are bought by celebrities and wanna-be celebrity and other notables, alike. 

Do you honestly think people (including celebs and other notables) are “earning” thousands upon millions of followers and friends? Nothing is more telling on one’s analog and brick and mortar (versus digital) thinking than thinking that followers is an ‘earned’ action. In the business (and branding) of digispace, it is a tale-tale sign that YOU. ARE. NOT. READY. for digital business-thinking every single followers is (and must be) ‘earned.’ No. You “secure” your following. You “EARN” your keep keeping and retaining them. The question is, can you do THAT? That’s what separates business from the mere busy-body. (And say this with me “Scandal” fast: The business (or brand) that has the CONSISTENT, VARYING, value and supply in demand earns the keep.

Don’t hate on the game. SAVE PLAYING THE INTEGRITY CARD FOR YOUR BUSINESS’S BEST PRACTICES AND HONESTY IN DOING BUSINESS WITH YOUR CUSTOMER. ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR IN HOW THEY ARE SECURED AND LEARNED WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU COULD BE FOUND. JUST ‘CAUSE YOU “EARN” THEM DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN KEEP THEM ANY MORE THAN IF YOU BOUGHT THEM MEANS THEY’LL STAY. Securing followers in digispace is not exactly bad for business and is NO DIFFERENT than buying direct mail advertising in the real world. With regard to earning your keep keeping them, the problem is this (because the greatest percentage of those who DO follow and friend you aren’t necessarily there to be your literal customer)…This is key and digi-psychology behind it all and why investors and not getting lucrative ROI’s by thinking they can cut corners and pay social media users (and celebs) with large followings and friends to advertise for them) so come closer:

In the world of selfies, self-centeredness and survival of the ‘stand out,’ IN THE BIGGER SCHEME OF THINGS, people are NOT online on social media (Twitter, IG, Snapchat, Facebook etc) to necessarily be sold anything and be CONSUMERS. People are online social media (Twitter, IG, Snapchat, Facebook etc). TO BE CONSUMED, first.

BUT …of Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat does specific things whereas Facebook and Twitter does other specific things. Either way (regardless), bBecause you are in control of the categorizing over your content descending, a blog is the best way to demonstrate and display your product or service. 

So when selecting which social media platforms is best for your brand or business, that point should come to mind, first. Key here is your message’s ability to be presented “blog-like.” The icing on the cake is it being on a social media platform (too). All social media platforms weren’t created equal in that regard.

Let’s talk about the few main ones:

 Twitter and Facebook: Facebook is a pool of world emotions where, although it affords you way more than 140 characters and your messages and posts are blog-like: Facebook not only descends, but its strong point is not hashtags which, (unlike on Instagram and Twitter), reaches the masses outside of the enclosed world of the people following or friending you (like on Facebook). In other words: Facebook’s ceilings are too closed. Twitter’s and Instagram’s is not. Facebook makes up with that with its Facebook Live feature, though. So whatever you feel live video does for your product, service, brand or business, Facebook’s got that for your benefit.

 Twitter loses immediately regarding being “blog-like” but it (along with IG) rules with the hashtag reach (outside of the followers and friends on your pages). However or if, you ‘engage’ with your followers is your brand or businesses choice and business, but there isn’t much sincere or true “engaging” that can happen in 140 characters (unless it turns into a large or small thread-that’s true engaging/conversation). That said, in addition to posting your thoughts, quotes, or whatever it is you do on Twitter, for brands or businesses; Twitter is good for posting 140 words that include a link to you blog/site (to explain and display your product, service, business). Less the rampant culture of “subtweeting” sessions via people who haven’t the guts to tap “@” or the “Direct” button to whom they’ve conjured up in their heads they are concerned (wasting your brand’s or businesses time observing down timelines); at best, singular posts (where people are posting opinions, quips, and thoughts about whatever), Twitter is the MVP of gaining insight and watching how hot/trending topics and news travels fast. At worst, the Twitter culture is extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeemely deliberate, pretentious, and contrived at use of the @ button. You see, with or without it, the Twitter culture all about speaking in 140 character marquees:

….That is: Displaying what we want the world to think of us, and what we want the world to know (via our thoughts or opinions). And (with use of the @ button) who we want to be associated with, to be seen by who we think or know they are being seen by via their willingness and openness RT (retweet) in exchange for stroking ego (under the guise of engagement). When it’s not (a) conversation (thread), most all directly or indirect (“@” statements or praise) on Twitter centers around hopes of being seen by our target and our target’s audience (at best: retweeted as a reward). At the core and in the name of true “engaging,” that’s not true (or sincere) engaging. But, whatever works for you. The bright side: Along with your 140 character content’s keywords, hashtags and links that Twitter so graciously allows, Twitter is king (in that regard). If you tweet relevant links, content, and keywords, your message (brand or business) can definitely get out there and known (if you have content that makes the people want to keep coming back for).

 Although it can contain “@’d marquee speak” from followers nonetheless, Instagram engagement gives less a way the “marquee” part of the ‘speak.’ Meaning: Its infrastructure is such that “marquee speak” doesn’t get lights, camera and action over your posted content. On Instagram, the CONTENT HAS THE FLOOR & TAKES THE STAGE. For that reason, Instagram is the Don-Dada of social media (for brands and businesses). At worse, Instagram is faster-paced with a few (intentional) kinks (because it is app). Either bump in the road however, is literally “worth” the time to work around. Like Twitter, IG is hashtag heaven in that-its reach extends outside of your followers and goes out to the world of Instagram who are in receipt OF YOUR CONTENT first over @’d marquee hype in exchange for shine. One of the MAJOR “kinks” of Instagram is that it runs into a brick wall in being hyperlink friendly. Instagram only permits one hyperlink click-through in the bio and none within posts. But the reach of the max 30-32 hashtags allowed per post, outweighs that kink of theirs. Additionally, IG allows more than 140 characters. You can treat each post like a blog post as you would on your own website. So, IG is a good supplement to your website because it is good for marketing your website + who or whatever else your are advertising out there to the people. NOTE: Don’t be a fool and give up your website for IG though because you do not own IG. And Alexa.com doesn’t hand out algorithms per individual IG account-it just does it for Instagram.com as a whole. But your own, personal website or blog gets listed at Alexa.com under WhatEverYourWebsitesNameIs.com. (Again-on the world wide web, where Twitter, IG, Snapchat and Facebook numbers may be fake and fronts with its “numbers” of infomercial like a’s and praise or statements, Alexa tells the TRUTH about how long people are ACTUALLY tending to what you are talking about, telling or selling. That can’t be (factually) measured on IG, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. Social media is as smoke and mirrors as media news is subjective and relative. But your blog / website Alexa numbers and AWstats don’t lie and bamboozle. Those reports make their way around to brand agencies to determine who’s who and whose site’s content is top performing (so as to let them know who would best be able to market or promote their product or service if it that site or blog fits the scope of that brand or businesses vision, mantra, vision or mission).

 Snapchat is TOTALLY not the OSFMag brand’s interest as, any platform whose content you post on that disappears in a matter of minutes is total waste of our time. Snapchat is cool for personal fun but as a brand or business along with strategy, you have to think more intuitively about social media. People on social media are already distracted, busy, and social media promiscuous. People coming to Snapchat are already prepared to come for “snaps” not silioquys or heavy content. As a brand or business, check out our engagement/time on site ( OtherSideoftheFame, SelfieStyleStories, ToriSpilling and OSFMag) as you see, our strength is our ability to wrap our readers and consumers up into our message and content. In that regard, we even crush the bigger news markets like People Mag, USWeekly and TMZ in that. That said, “Snap” content is not consuming the consumer. So, for now, Snapchat is a waste of our time.

Our choice:

For now, Snapchat is not an effective social media platform for OSFMag. We can appreciate what Facebook does but they have ‘ceilings.’ The appeal and promotion is mostly to those people on your friend list more than the hashtag is effective and used on Facebook. As well, we don’t like the pretentious social get-down and culture of Facebook and Twitter, but love Twitter’s (hashtag reach’s marketing infrastructure). As well, Twitter is useful for the OSFMag brand of blogs because many people love to use Twitter as some kind of blog for them (versus starting their own blog). So many of their posts make our jobs easier. In addition to that, beginning June 2017, we are concentrating on dropping (on Twitter) our pre written posts leading to ToriSpilling.com, OtherSideoftheFame and SelfieStories.com and upping and opening engagement and content drop game on IG, intently. For OSFMag.com brands and marketing reach, Instagram is the real MVP.

More on social media and its users of it.

While on social media, (via the sharing of word of mouth and word of mouse) social media users want to consume and be told and sold things separate from where they themselves are working to stand and sell themselves out 24/7/365. The best thing any product, service or business can do to get these things in front of these people separate from where the play and display. Via news and information websites (that provide all things on the world’s stage today: politics, pop and popular culture, lifestyle and entertainment), is the real MVP. Social media users want that ‘tell-me’ ‘sell-me’ tab pulled up elsewhere online-NOT in the way of where are seeking to stand out and be seen.

So while all that is seems ‘one in the same’ by way of providing a link and a click, ROI’s aren’t considering (and many know nothing about) Alexa.com’s digi-algorithms. It grade sites all over the world/worldwide web and report to PR firms and brands-WHICH websites the millions (and social media users) are frequenting. It’s not always the one’s Justin Beiber or Kim Kardashian post.

OSFMag.com brand family’s OtherSideoftheFame.com and ToriSpilling.com can humble brag being scouted and algorithm’d for having “rhythm” in its website’s way and waves (pr.com list of top performing sites, list show of Alexa’s top domain list / x2 and here: url science.com Alexa top domain list)

Another key: Social media users and online / Internet users, aren’t as interested (nor do they trust) social media users dropping random PRODUCT & SERVICES links. But they DO trust brand or business that provide those things on a continuous basis and find comfort in knowing they don’t have to be forced to interrupt their regular scheduled agendas and “stand out sessions” to be bothered with a famous (or wanna be famous) person dropping various clickbaits. News, info, popular culture, politics and current event news (in the form of links) pretty much go over well with respect to social media users. If you have something to offer, advertise or sell, make it stand out on your site when they get there and after reading and getting what THEY want from YOU, first.

Encore:

OSFMag’s CEO’s (college) studies in psychology, philosophy and journalism served her well.

So, by way intuitive and strategic social study, x (being a published writer and author); this is a perfect formula for the unmatched, inconspicuous blogvertising in the form of contenting writing and article indexing.

Worldwide, the OSFMag brand family gets it in front of their eyes, in their hearts, heads, minds, homes, hands and lives!