Top 4 Social Networking Sites

If you do a bit of searching around you’ll probably find lists of social
networks, and you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number out there.
The thing to remember is that most networks have a very small user base
and it is not often worth investing any time into them. Of course, if you find
a network that specifically targets your ideal customer, they might be worth
exploring. But for the purposes of this guide, we are simply going to take a
look at the top four social networking sites overall.

URL:  http://facebook.com
Description: The granddaddy of all social networks, Facebook boasts the
largest number of users from a wide demographic. Users can  post updates,
photos and videos. Interaction comes in the form of comments, sharing
updates and “Likes” which demonstrate that someone likes the update they
just read.
Demographic Data: Facebook has 845 million active users, 483 million
users of whom are active on a daily basis. Facebook is available in over 70
languages. There are slightly more female users on Facebook than male
users, but their representation is fairly even. The age range of users is
broad, but the 20-29 age group is the best represented.
Business Opportunity: Facebook allows business to create “Pages.” Users
can subscribe to receive updates from your page by clicking a “Like” button
to indicate they are a fan of your business. You can post updates about your
company, interesting facts, share news, create polls and more. Facebook
allows customization for branding your Facebook Page.
#2: Twitter
URL:  http://twitter.com
Description: Often described as a micro-blogging network, Twitter allows
its users to send short updates of a maximum of 140 characters; referred to
as “tweets.” They can post text updates, and while the site also allows the
posting of photos, users have to click a link to view the photos. Users can
interact with one another by replyin g to user updates or “retweeting” them –
which means rebroadcasting someone else’s tweet to their own followers.
Twitter also employs the use of “hashtags,” which are keywords preceded by
a “#” character, that make them searchable, so people can follow
conversations on specific topics. 
Demographic Data: Twitter has 300 million users that post over 300
million tweets per day. 53% of Twitter’s users are female, giving them a
slight edge over the male user population. 30% of Twitter’s users are
between the ages of 26 and 34 and 27% of them are 35-44. Twitter is
currently offered in only a handful of languages, but they are working to
expand their offerings.
Business Opportunity: Businesses are allowed to set up Twitter accounts
as the service does not distinguish between business and personal accounts.
You can post updates about your company, share information, interact with
other Twitter users and post photos. Hashtags are an opportunity to share
information during events of interest and relating to specific  topics. Twitter
allows for custom branding of your Twitter profile page.
#3 LinkedIn
URL:  http://facebook.com
Description: LinkedIn is focused on connecting professionals, with the
purpose of sharing industry-related information, as well as job and other
opportunities.
Demographic Data: LinkedIn has over 150 million members and over 2
million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages, making it the largest
professional social network online. It is available in 200 countries worldwide
and is available in 16 languages.
Business Opportunity: LinkedIn provides professionals the opportunity to
create profiles and increase their professional contacts and connections. You
can also set up a Company Page to share company news, employment
opportunities and more. It is a good opportunity to meet other like-minded
business owners and professionals for the purpose of sharing information,
forming partnerships and more. You can create polls, share files, promote
events, share presentations and more. LinkedIn allows for minor
customization in order to brand profile pages. 
#4: Google+
URL:  http://plus.google.com
Description: Google+ is a relatively new social network created by the
search giant Google. As Google implements more social results into its
search, SEO experts are saying that Google+ is becoming increasingly
relevant to your appearance in search results, so it’s definitely a network
worth looking at. Users can post updates, and share images and videos.
Interactions come in the format of comments, sharing updates and clicking
the “+1” to demonstrate that a user likes the update they just read. Google
employs the use of “Circles” so that users can categorize the people they are
following into different groups such as friends, acquaintances, business
connections, etc. There is also integration with YouTube, Picasa and other
Google services.
Demographic Data: It is estimated that Google+ has about 90 million
users, making it a relatively small social network in comparison to the others
mentioned in this guide. Publicly available demographic data is limited, but it
is reported that a large percentage of its user base is technologically -oriented men. According to Wikipedia, over 71% of Googl e+’s users are
male and 35% of all their users are between the ages of 25 and 34.
Business Opportunity: Businesses can set up a Google+ Page that allows
them to connect with their followers. Businesses are not allowed to set up
regular Google+ profiles, although you need to set up a personal profile
before you can create a business page. Users can subscribe to your Google+
updates by putting you into their circles. You can share updates, share
useful content, photos and videos. You can also create “Hangouts” that allow
you to interact your followers via video or audio chat. Google+ allows for
minor customization in order to brand your profile page.