Digital communications and social media have dramatically in recent years — and have changed marketing entirely. And those changes are still coming. Every day new social media platforms, apps and websites are created, which spreads your audience across dozens and dozens of platforms.
Social media has become a common way for companies to share their news. But there’s more than just Facebook and Twitter to choose from when targeting specific audiences. Below are five apps and sites are on the new horizon for social media connection:
SnapChat – You may have heard of SnapChat, but you may not have realized how many businesses use it in their social media marketing. Snapchat allows you to share photos, videos, and articles through their “story” feature, which are visible to your followers for 24 hours. More than 70 percent of SnapChat users are under 35 years old, so if you’re looking to reach millennial crowds, this is the platform to use.
WhatsApp – WhatsApp is a mobile messaging app that allows users to send text, images and video. Businesses have found multiple uses for WhatsApp, such as internal communications, product purchases, and customer support with WhatsApp messaging. WhatsApp combines Facebook Messenger, SnapChat and Slack to create a multifunctional platform that users love – and it provides end-to-end encryption, so your information is safe.
Medium – Many businesses create blogs on their websites to share original content. But these blogs receive minimal visibility. Medium is a free content creation and sharing platform. It hosts thousands of bloggers, and unlike other entertainment or news sites, all of its content is user-generated. You can potentially be seen by thousands of readers if your content is popular or well-received by the Medium staff.
Peach – Created by social media mogul Dom Hofmann, Peach is taking off as the newest popular social media among teens and young adults. Though it hasn’t rivaled Twitter or Facebook yet, it has features of both on its platform. Peach allows for private posting (unlike Twitter), but limits the length and type of content users can post (unlike Facebook). It also includes “magic words” that auto-populate different functions in the app, rather than looking for them in the main navigation. Peach could be the next big social media channel, and business should take advantage of it while it’s still growing.
Yik Yak – Yik Yak is the ultimate social media for meetups, gossip and local news. You can post updates only sharing your location, or see what others are talking about in your area. While the app is most popular on high school and college campuses, businesses can use it to drive traffic to their stores. Yik Yak proved effective for businesses who post anonymously about promotions or encourage users to visit their store for a particular event.
