| Name |
Description |
Active Monthly Users |
Pros |
Cons |
| Facebook |
A platform where users can create profiles, post news, and interact with other users. Companies can create brand pages to engage with followers. Advertising is also available. |
1.79 billion |
- The social media leader
- Most popular platform
- Great for brand exposure and customer relations
|
- Highly saturated with brands and competitors
- Not SEO friendly
- Many Teens and Millennials prefer other platforms
|
| Instagram |
A platform where users post pictures directly from their mobile devices. Corporate engagement is limited to sponsored posts. |
500 million |
- Highly visual platform
- Simplicity of scrolling through content
- A favorite of Teens, Millennials and Generation X’ers
|
- Highly creative photograhy is required to engage audiences.
- Limited one-on-one engagement available
- Increase in advertising posts push out organic posts
|
| Twitter |
A micro-blogging platform where users can send tweets of up to 140-characters. |
317 million |
- Instant real-time content
- High engagement with customers
- Useful for customer service interactions.
|
- Crowded with content
- User growth is lagging compared to other platforms
- Large follower drop-off rate – due to users over-posting content
|
| YouTube |
A video-sharing platform that allows users to post videos, follow other video bloggers, and engage with them. |
1 billion |
- Highly visual platform
- Great for building your brand
- Travellers have high engagement with video.
|
- Requires that you create compelling video content.
- Difficult to re-direct users to your website.
|
| Snapchat |
A photo and video-sharing platform that allows user to send 10 second videos or images that delete after 10 seconds. |
150 million |
- Extremely popular among teens and millennials
- One-on-one engagement available
- Attracting content creators
- Becoming a better ad platform
- Customers can really take a look into your business operations
|
- Limited to 10 second videos
- Content doesn’t last.
- Requires high engagement.
- Users can feel spammed with content
- Difficult to track Snapchat analytics
- Harder for baby boomers to use
|
| Pinterest |
A platform where users can share their interests or generate content. |
150 million |
- Mostly women users, but men users are increasing
- Very popular for travel inspiration
- Recently implemented a “buy button” which is great for businesses
- Highly visual
- Great for finding inspiration and influencers
|
- Limited one-on-one interaction
- Limited to certain categories
- Must use high-quality photographs
|
