Social Networking Platforms 101 - My Top 3

With so many different Social Networking sites online nowadays many people get overwhelmed.  Well, Ana is here to the rescue.  One of the things I ABSOLUTELY LOVE is reading (yes, I'm a bit of a book nerd, don't hate) and so what I've been doing lately is reading up on all the different Social Networking sites out there that actually are useful.  Whether for business or personal use, these Top 3 sites are ones that I recommend every person look a lil bit more into before just tossing it to the side as a "fad".

Note: Many of the you reading this right now probably have a working knowledge of the sites I'm about to mention.  I'm just doing a quick overview for the newbies BUT if you want more information about any of these, just shoot me a message.  I'm more than happy to share my thoughts and even give more info on books to read to learn more.

Social Networks:
1. Facebook

• Probably one of the more "popular" and "mainstream" of the social networks.
• Females are the majority user.
• Age range of most users btwn 45-54 followed by the 25-34 crowd.
• Average income = $25K-$50K.
• One of the most appealing things is that its free to join and you can probably find most of your friends/family on here.
• One of the annoying aspects is the integration with every single app known to mankind right now (I really don't want to play farmville or mafia wars or whatever new game is going on).
• NOT a good place to find investors.  More of a share your pictures/status updates/plan a party type of medium.

2. LinkedIn

• A MUST JOIN NETWORK for any working professional or college student.
• Considered a "professional network" rather than "social network".
• Male dominated.
• Age range of users btwn 35-44 followed by 45-54.
• Average income around $50K-$100K.
• It is free to have a membership but if you really want to get the most out of the site, upgrade to Business Plus ($49.99/mo).  You'll be able to connect w/a lot more people.
• Great network to learn from established professionals and to grow your network.  
• One of the better sites to find investors in a project.

3. Twitter

• Fastest growing social networking site at the moment.
• Male/Female ratio is about the same.
• Age range of users are 35-44 followed by 25-34.
• Average income $25K-$50K but slowly rising into the higher brackets.  
• Great way to send out quick bursts of info to a massive amount of people (followers) that can be spread like wildfire with re-tweets. 
• Business professionals are taking to Twitter, using it to find investments/investors and share ideas.
• I'm a fan of twitter because of its simplicity.

I'll go more in-depth to other Social Networking sites that are available in my next post, but these are my TOP 3 choices for every person to have when they first start out.  Each offers its own pro/con aspects but if used all together can be a great tool for any person looking to grow their business, enhance their online reputation/presence, or just a good way to interact with the world around them. 

What are your favorite Social Networking sites and why??

Connect with me on all 3 sites!!  I'm always happy to find new people to connect with and share thoughts/ideas.
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LXDoZJ 
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/KDPU2E
Twitter: http://bit.ly/MemXZv

Sources:
http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/social-media-stats/2011-social-network-analysis-report/#Linkedin
http://thesocialskinny.com/99-new-social-media-stats-for-2012/
http://www.socialmediainformer.com/2011/statistics/twitter/

"Summer days driftin' away…."

Earlier in the year I told myself that this summer would be one that I actually do something.  I would better myself by working out and being outdoors as much as possible, I would date more, and I would definitely further my knowledge in social networking/online reputation.  Well….I think this summer will definitely be one for the books.

I'm taking 12 hours of summer classes at UTD:  

• Business Finance
• International Business
• Managerial Methods
• Operations Management

I've decided to take on some new outdoor activities:

• Rowing.  Yeah, on the water and in a boat rowing out at Bachman Lake through the Dallas Row Club.  Sculling to be exact actually.  I've been wanting to do this for a while now (I use the stationary row machines weekly and LOVE the workout) but didn't want to go alone…so, with my best friends birthday in early June, I figured its the best gift I can give!!!!  Don't worry, she knows and agreed to the gift bc she's AWESOME like that.
• Pole Dancing.  Yup, another workout class at Poleiticians…not really outdoors but its a new physical activity.  A great Groupon purchase with the bestie again.  She's my partner in crime when it comes to testing out new outings.
• Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and SUP Yoga out at DFW Surf in Grapevine... if I have time and energy.  It sounds really serene to be honest and come on…how many people do you know that do this?  It'll be a great conversation starter!!!  

AND on top of all of that…READING!  Okay, this really isn't that big of a problem.  I'm a HUGE book nerd and LOVE LOVE LOVE to read.  I don't stick to any one genre or author.  I like to keep my brain working and change it up.  Here's a snapshot as to what I've purchased over the past few days to start my reading marathon for the month.  

• http://instagr.am/p/KvBV2FuAPX/ 

I'll be giving my reviews on each book as I finish them on Amazon (as I do everything basically) and will probably blog about certain ones that I find outstanding.  If you're interested in a full reading list…let me know, I'll get it to you.  Warning though…the list runs about 45 deep at the moment.  

I'm just hoping that some some my summer days will lead to some summer love now….lol.

Dallas Row Club: http://www.dallasrowingclub.org/cms/

Poleiticians: http://poleiticians.com/

DFW Surf: http://www.dfwsurf.com/index.html

Float On Yoga: http://www.floatonyoga.com/