Week 2 Part 1:

Which social media platforms seem geared towards personal use? Why do you think so?

In my opinion, the social media platforms that seem geared towards personal use include YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. I think YouTube is mainly used for personal use because of the endless videos you can find on that platform. For example, YouTube has a tutorial for just about anything, but it is also available for educational and entertainment purposes. These cover all the bases in terms of personal use. Instagram has a good balance between pages that are for business or to make purchases off of, and then there are pages on Instagram, similar to YouTube, that are either funny videos or even educational videos. Another factor why Instagram is definitely a personal app is because of how quick and easy it is to use. All of the videos are less than a minute which provide a convenient way to learn something quick or instead, take a quick break. Finally, Facebook is the most suitable for the word personal use. Everyone used to use Facebook as their main platform to access social media, however, today most people use Instagram or even Twitter. Now Facebook has become a social media platform that is mostly used by professionals or helping old friends find each other. 

Which ones seem to work better for business? What makes them seem more suitable to business use?

In my opinion, Instagram and YouTube seem to work better for business. They seem and are now actually have made online shopping much easier. For example regarding Instagram, you can now make purchases on someone's profile, if supported by the company, which makes buying something a consumer sees and immediately likes a more convenient transaction. As far as YouTube, the potential for a video or something to viral is extremely easy. Not only that but there are a few big name YouTube channels that only release videos of them trying or opening products. This is a great way to make sure a consumer sees exactly what they like and what they're expecting which can help with the business use side of YouTube.

Do any seem to work well for both? How are they used differently?

Instagram and YouTube are social media platforms that perform well in both personal and business use. Facebook unfortunately has "died" and is not nearly as effective as the other two platforms. They are used differently in terms of the purchase made regarding the business use of these platforms. In other words, if a consumer is purchasing something relatively important and expensive, they will turn to YouTube and spend 30-60 minutes finding the best product. However if we're talking about impulsive or even influenced consumer purchases, Instagram is the platform consumers use to make those kind of purchases.