Digital Marketing

Top 14 Social Networking Sites For You

There are a barrage of social networks out there for each and every aspect that you can imagine. Social networking sites for connecting with old friends, networks for sharing and discussing about photography and music, micro blogging sites and many more. We will list a few of these sites according to their categories for your benefit here. Social networks featured here may be past their prime or maybe rising suns depending on the number of active users.

Social Networks for Social Connections:

1. Facebook :

The ultimate reigning king and the first name that comes to mind when someone says “social networks”, Facebook has cemented its place at the top very firmly. The worlds largest social network, it has over 1 billion users. Facebook has gone through a lot of changes over the years since its launch in 2004 both aesthetically and under the hood as well. It recently unveiled Graph Search, which allows users to find people with similar interests quite easily. This shows that Zuckerberg and co are not resting on their laurels but coming up with new ideas to stay relevant. Facebook pages are more popular than ever and the term “LIKES” has garnered a new meaning all together.

2. Google Plus :

Launched by Google in June 2011, Google Plus has racked up users at an astonishing pace. According to a new report by a UK market research firm, Google+ is now the second largest social network in terms of active users. The report estimates Facebook‘s active users in December 2012 at 693 million, compared to 343 million for Google+. Google Plus was once said to be a ghost town, but has now become a hub for like minded enthusiasts to meet and engage, be it astronomers, artists or social media evangelists. Constant updates based on user feedback has helped it to garner a huge amount of good will among its users. Google Plus Brand Pages, Google Plus communities & Google Plus Hangouts

3. Myspace :

Myspace has had a tumultuous journey over the years. The site which launched earlier than Facebook and once upon a time had surpassed Google as the most visited website in the United States is now lagging behind in the tail end of the race among social networking sites. A place where artists could showcase their skills, it acted as a launchpad for many singers who have since probably moved on to YouTube. Pop artist  Justin Timberlake who has a stake in the company tweeted about the new Myspace in September 2012 along with a video which revealed a slicker and more classy interface. While it may not be able to catch up with others, if Myspace can hold onto its existing users is something that remains to be seen.

4. Path :

Path is a social network created for sharing with your close friends and family. This is perfect for those people who are not comfortable sharing personal moments with acquaintances or maybe office co-workers. Facebooks constantly changing privacy settings are a prime example of why users might want to sign up for Path. Path is more like an online journal of your life. The site only allows users to connect with up to 150 friends in order to make sure that the people you add are high quality connections.

Read about Social networking sites and online Safety measures for KIDS – Click here

Micro Blogging sites :

5. Twitter :

While people might have scoffed at Twitters 140 character limit at the outset, it is what has turned into its biggest USP. With over 340 million tweets daily, there is no shortage of words being said. Twitter has carried forwarded its USP into other apps as well, like its recently launched Vine app. This app lets you record and tweet short 6 second video clips. Twitter has seen a lot of changes visually as well, from its new logo to the new media galleries and also functionally with the ability to email or download tweets, changes to embedded tweets etc.

6. Tumblr :

Tumblr is another micro blogging site but its mainly focused on media rich content. Tumblr’s main audience are teens and other people under 25. Users post multimedia to their own short blogs and can follow other users and reblog their content as well.

Social Network for Professionals : 

7. LinkedIn :

LinkedIn has recently surpassed more than 200 million users worldwide, of which 18 million are from India alone. This site helps you to make connections with other professionals. Companies can scout for recruits and members can find more about executives working in other firms as well. LinkedIn groups are am excellent place to glean information before appearing for an interview. LinkedIn Profiles & LinkedIn Groups are extremely popular among corporate professionals.

Social Networks based on Photography,Videos,  Music and other Multimedia

8.  YouTube :

YouTube dominates the video sharing space, with others hardly remembering sites like Metacafe or Vimeo. YouTube recently got a face lift changing its UI and layout. Individuals as well as major organizations are using YouTube for sharing videos with users around the globe. With Google maintaining the back end, YouTube hardly ever sees any downtime. YouTube is also strong on the mobile front, it can be accessed via almost all feature phones today.

 9. Instagram :

Instagram offers far fewer filters than many other apps out there, but its strong community of 100 million users make it one of the most popular photo sharing services available. Instagram was purchased by Facebook for a billion dollars way back in 2012, but so far they have not meddled with the service in any manner. Users have even turned Instagram into a profitable venture by showcasing galleries of their pictures and offering individual images for sale.

10. Pinterest :

Pinterest is another site which exploded to go viral thanks to its unique layout and features. The concept of pinboards really caught on and users could discover a lot of fresh content. Clothes to cakes to carpentry, everything found an audience on Pinterest. And with a mobile app that seems to be an extension of their desktop site, they are firmly marching along the right path.

11. Flickr :

Flickr was almost thought to be done and dusted until they redesigned the site and the mobile app and also offering a Flickr Pro account for 3 months for free. Flickr was one of the first major photo sharing sites and still has a strong and loyal user base. It also allowed users to submit photographs for stock photography making it lucrative as well.

12. Soundcloud :

SoundCloud is an audio distribution platform where people can upload sounds or music to share with others. It is fast becoming a platform for upcoming artists to share their talent with fans and gain feedback about their skills. Unlike Myspace, SoundCloud provides a unique URL for their uploads which can then be shared on Facebook, twitter or any other sites thereby targeting a larger audience. Another unique feature is the ability to leave comments on specific portions of the track. SoundCloud is growing by 1.5m+ users every month proving that it is not just another flash in the pan.

Location based Social Networks 

13. Foursquare :

Foursquare presented a win-win situation for users and business owners alike. Checking in to a location helped publicize the location and the user unlocked badges and offers  thereby motivating them to return often. Foursquare has kept the idea fresh by introducing new badges from time to time and also launching a mobile app for business users to keep an eye on statistics. The Curiosity Rover earned a badge for checking in mars and will probably be the only person to earn it for the foreseeable future.

14. Yelp :

Yelp is a social networking service which features user reviews about local services like hotels, barber shops, restaurants, coffee bars etc. Each search about a specific spot is usually accompanied by  a wealth of information like a 5 point rating, working hours, address and reviews from other users. Yelp has a reputation system to establish the credibility of reviewers and to prevent any fake or skewed reviews. This makes it one of the best places to stake out the restaurant you are just planning to visit.

So these are just a few of the top social networking sites in the major categories available today. Please note that the sites in this list are sorted according to category and not  rank. This is a purely subjective list made for user perusal and opinions may differ. Let us know which other sites would you have liked to see in this list.

Let’s connect on social platforms with Brand Techdivine Creative Services:

• Techdivine Creative Services on Facebook
• Techdivine Creative Services on Twitter
• Techdivine Creative Services on Google Plus
• Techdivine Creative Services Website
• Your SMQ Social Media Quotient for BRANDS on LinkedIn
• Techdivine Creative Services on LinkedIn
• Your SMQ Social Media Brand Quotient Android App
• Social Media Quotient YourSMQ On SLIDESHARE

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