Social media is the most prized gift that last decade gave us. Initially used as a means to connect with people, this platform gradually gained its position as means to make business develop and go viral on the global belvedere. Previously the most commonly used question “Are you using social media to promote your business?” is replaced by “Which all social media websites are you using to promote your business?”
As the older social media websites are becoming established players, newer entrants are gaining a strong foot hold in this arena where the hottest selling cake is public engrossment and engagement. Two social media which drive the largest amount of e-commerce traffic are Twitter and Pinterest. While Twitter has found its groove, Pinterest is climbing the totem pole steadily at impressive speed. There is a dilemma among many people as to which website to use for generating more public awareness for their brand. We pin down a few pros and cons of Twitter and Pinterest along with the uniqueness that each of these two offer.
Twitter – Internet’s God of speed
Twitter’s USP is speed and concise information. Twitter has mastered the art of attracting traffic.
Pros’
Twitter is an egregious mine of information with 140 million registered users. Average number of tweets per day is 500 million and thereby the users can reach out to the mass public out there. Moreover, with the 140 character limit, there is a content constraint which attracts more viewers.
Cons’
Think of some whacky tweet, spend hours on coming up with some great tweet and Bang On! Within seconds it gets buried. The short lifespan of each tweet is its greatest drawback.
Pinterest – Goddess of loveliness and lure
Pinterest’s USP’s – Visual bookmarking, Organizing and Sharing things that the user loves has made it an instant sensation among individuals and business.
Pros’
Pinterest has 80% female followers from the 70 million users database. So if your business niche is food, fashion or home décor, it will be an instant hit among the viewers. For brands intending to target loyalty, it would be the best platform as trust leads to brand loyalty.
Cons’
Being favored mostly by women, not all business niches would find a strong foothold on Pinterest. So taking example of NBA, it won’t be able to generate much interest or leads.
Having listed the advantages and disadvantages of both these social media platforms, it depends on the user how to strategically use both of them to get the greatest possible leads and traffic. For example, if you are opening a new restaurant, tweeting about its inauguration details and pinning the photos about its ambiance and food will attract maximum public attention in both fortes.
Facebook,Twitter,Pinterest , all these social networking websites have carved their own niches and can be used in different ways depending on the business model.
Hope, I have done my best in providing pros and cons of both the social networking giants.