An explanation of social media is the method of communicating information, accompanied with a platform in which to communicate with others. You are gaining information whilst interacting with others, whether that's in the form of comments, discussion, reviews, etc. Social media is an umbrella term for different types of websites. I have researched The Conversation Prism and categorised the types of social media I believe would help me now and in the near future:
- Social Info, Photo & Video Sharing:
- Pinterest (social curation)
- Fancy (social curation)
- Blogger/Wordpress (blog)
- Tumblr (blog)
- Lookbook
- Social Networking
- LinkedIn (business)
- Evenbrite (social event management)
- Social Marketplace
- Kickstarter
- Social News
- BuzzFeed (crowd wisdom)
Instagram:
This app is a quick and easy way of advertising or promoting an image in an artistic way (using filters). It is creative and lets the user experiment with the photos taken. It is free and images are uploaded on to the app instantly. It is a very public app (although theres are limited ways to change this), which lets people globally view, comment and like images. The app also allows the user to share the image elsewhere, such as Twitter and Facebook.
I think this app is useful to me now, because I will able to send images to the public and see how they react to it. In the future I would use this app to send images to the public in order to gain recognition for specific projects/pieces of work - to gain a reaction from the public, like a form of feedback.
Instagram would also allow me to experiment creatively with photos, in order to create a theme which I may be advertising in the future.
Allowing the photos to be views globally, means there is more chance of the item I am promoting to be seen and reviewed (either by comments or likes).
I believe that it is beneficial for the app to be able to share images on other social sites, as this means that the images can spread in order to initiate comments or other forms of feedback or recognition.
Pinterest:
This site allows people globally to pin images and photos to their Pinterest page. Users can categorise their interests into boards, which make it easy for viewers to navigate. Viewers can gain inspiration from other Pinterest pages and discover new images and then pin it to their own page. Users can like other pages and can follow other users, so they are updated with additions or changes. Pinterest allows viewers to see what interests them in one places. The website also directs the user to other pages with the similar interests.
I think this social media website helps me now, because it allows me to see a concentrated amount of the same/similar interests in one place, rather than searching all over the web. This is convenient because I am inspired quicker, as I have spent less time looking for something specific. The fact that the site directs the viewer to similar interest, means that I am not looking at one these constantly - it allows me to see a wider spectrum of inspiration.
The comment and like concept is quick and easy, and helps to get more frequent feedback, because viewers are not forced to type sentences. I think it would be useful in the future to view the commenters and the people who liked my pins, because they may have similar interests, that I may want to contact.
Fancy:
Fancy is a global site intended to promote unusual objects that haven't entered mainstream trend. The user can buy, collect and share items on the website. The site also stretches to curating a catalogue of places and stores.
I could use this site if I was to sell any garments from future projects - The site is user friendly and clearly states prices.
Blogger/Wordpress:
These similar sites, specialise in creative written documents and quickly posting it to the general public, globally. These sites shows you who your target audience is, and allows communication between users and viewers. Networking is established through following blogs and bloggers and through commenting on blogs.
These type of sites are useful for me now, to reflect and documents essential information, whilst further explaining the subject point with images, links, videos etc. I will continue using this, but perhaps aim to pursue a wider audience to attain more back and forth communication with viewers.
Tumblr:
Tumblr is a type of blog in which the user is free to post many types of files, such as: Stories, photos, GIF's, TV shows, mp3's, Spotify tracks, videos, etc. Tumblr displays these files in a visual but simple way, for viewers to view posts easily. Tumblr is quite similar to Pinterest in some ways, but I think this social sharing site enables the user to be more creative in the post he/she shares.
Tumblr uses the same concept of gathering information on he user's posts and suggesting other users's posts that share similar interests. In addiction the site will help to find people to follow and find the users's blog.
This social sharing site would be useful for me, because it brings like minded people together and allows easy contact, with the use of comments and inboxes.
Lookbook:
A webite that displays fashion outfits (aka 'looks') from people with different styles. This site can help draw inspiration from people with different personalities from around the world. Users of the site add a list of tagged items of what they are wearing in a specific look - this would be useful to me because I would enable me to discover brands and labels that are new to me. The forums on the site would allow me to discuss subjects related to fashion. This would be an opportunity to meet like-minded people and network with them. The website also allocates a space to link blogs, portfolios or shops, which also aid recognition and promotion.
LinkedIn:
This social networking website allowed users to become in contact with professionals. This website offers the opportunity to access jobs, people, news and an insite to different sectors that interest the user.
I think this site would be useful for me now, because it would put my name out into the professional world (probably not an interest to anyone at this stage). I may use the site to search professionals in the creative industry, although I believe this site would become more useful to me in the future - for instance, when I gain more professional qualities and gained experience in the fashion industry.
Evenbrite:
This site is an easy way for users to create an event. This is done by adding details of the event, choosing the ticket, then inviting people and evaluating sales and registration. The user is also allowed to create guest lists and scan tickets.
This social media site would be very beneficial to me in the future, if I was to plan an event to promote a project I had done. This website would allow me to track people who were attending, plus the organisation service offered by the site would keep things hassle free. The event would allow for networking and contacts to be established due to face to face communication.
Kickstarter:
This website is very useful for people who need founding for their projects. There are 5 main keywords that are involved with the Kickstarter process:
- Project - Work with a clear goal ( what you are promoting/want to achieve)
- Funding Goal - The amount of the money a creator needs to raise to achieve their goal
- Creator - A person or team who initiated the project
- Backer - People who pledge money to join the creator's project
- Rewards - Allows the creator to share a part of their project to give back to the backer community
This site would be one of the most useful websites for me to use in the future. An example would be to promote a fashion project in order to make a profit, when funding is low. I would be able to use the site to contact the backers, in order to network with more people and gain contacts.
BuzzFeed:
This social news website allows me to view recent news, entertainment and reports. It is not the most reliable, but sparks interest, in which I would follow up the subject with more research. I am able to view some comments which spark discussion and debate surrounding the subject, which involves global users and viewers. I can also share my views about a subject, plus the site gives me the option to share it with other social networking sites such as Facebook.
This website is useful for sparking interest and viewing trending articles. It gives rounded news, although not the most in depth, but the site keeps the articles interesting and dynamic.
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