Whenever we think about social networks, we automatically consider LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Everyone in the marketing industry knows these sites but did you know that there are over 5 types of social networks that you can be a part of? We have social network categories that are really important and good for various types of users. With this in mind, here are different types of social networks you should be aware of.
Social Connection Networks
These are those networks that we normally know and that we think about when referring to social networks. Their main purpose is to keep in touch with family members and friends. Those that are really popular are the following:
- Facebook – This is by far the most popular of all the social media utilities available on the internet. It offers a really great way to build connections and to share data with organizations and people.
- Twitter – Great for sharing tide bits of information with the world and interact in a very unique and fast way.
- Google + – Many see this network as being aimed for professionals but it is designed for the regular users with a similarity to Facebook and Twitter. We are faced with the new entry in the social connection networks with Google +.
Multimedia Sharing Social Networks
These are social networks that do make it quite easy to share photographs and videos. They are going to sometimes allow you to even get revenue for the content that you upload but the main focus is put on multimedia sharing. The most popular examples are:
- YouTube – This is by far the most popular of the social media platforms. It allows users to view and share video content. Millions of new videos are added every single day and can be shared almost everywhere online.
- Flickr – A social multimedia sharing network platform that offers great opportunities for managing your photographs in an online setting. It is also great for sharing your photographs with other people.
- Picasa – The network is quite similar to Flickr. It gives you a wonderful way to share and organize photographs. Picasa is a Google product so it can easily be integrated with the above mentioned Google + network.
Professional Social Networks
The professional social network is created in order to offer opportunities for a group of people and their career. Some of the networks will offer a general forum for the professionals to connect. Others will be focused on interests or specific occupations. Some examples that can be highlighted include the following:
- LinkedIn – There are over 140 million members at the moment. This is the largest of all the professional social networks. Those that participate have the opportunity to easily create a relationship with other professionals in the same field and even get a new job as companies do look for talent through the social network.
- Copy Op – A social network designed for the financial traders. This is a place where traders interact, share investment ideas and can even learn more about trading.
- Classroom 2.0 – A social network that is not that well-known but that is highly useful for teachers that want to connect with other teachers in order to help each other with matters that are profession specific.
Informational Social Networks
An informational community is a great way for people to seek answers to problems that appear on a daily basis. As an example, in the event that you want to start a specific home improvement project, you can discover various blogs, websites and even forums that are filled with individuals that will want to help you. Some examples of online communities that you may want to know about include:
- Super Green Me – An online community that helps those that want to know more about green living practices, all while interacting with each other.
- Do-It-Yourself Community – This is a social media resource that allows you to interact with other people that are enthusiastic about the do-it-yourself industry.
Educational Social Networks
These networks are where students will go when they want to collaborate with the other students so that they can work better on their academic projects, help with school research and even interact with the professors through classroom and blog forums. The educational social networks can be quite popular among students and are very useful with the system today. Examples that we can offer include:
- The Student Room – This is an UK based social network community that has a message board and various useful resources that are connected to school.
- ePALS School Blog – This is a really interesting international educational social network that is built for the K-12 students. The purpose behind the association was to promote world peace and build an international connection.
Hobby Social Networks
There are countless people out there that use the World Wide Web in order to conduct research about interesting things connected with the hobbies that they have. There are actually social communities that are developed and that you can enroll if you want to find other people that share your hobbies, all in a social environment. Believe it or not, these social networks are really popular among users that share the hobby. Examples include:
- Oh My Bloom – A special social media website that is aimed to help people that enjoy gardening. This includes forums, video content, blogs and so much more.
- com My Place – Just as the name implies, the location is designed especially for the scrapbooking enthusiasts. A user can share information, create a profile and so much more.
Building Connections With Social Networks
Keep in mind that the examples mentioned above are just some of the social networks that exist and there are even other types of networks that could be mentioned. No matter the situation, you can easily find various social networks that you would love. Just be sure that you will connect only with people that can be trusted.
