Top 10 Best Social Media Sites for Business

Whether you are on the hunt for new customers, wanting to connect with your industry, needing to spread your marketing message further or simply looking for information about something - increasingly we are all turning to Social Media Sites. Below is a list of 10 influential Social Media sites for business:

1. Facebook.com
The world's largest social network, Facebook (FB) allows users to share content and conversations, create events and deploy targeted ads
Facebook users can join networks organised by city, workplace, school, and region. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Facebook now offers a business page, which provides businesses with a great platform to promote events and company information to its network.

2. Twitter.com
A site that lets users post messages -- "tweets" -- of 140 characters or less.
Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site. Users send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have elected to 'follow' Twits (people who Twitter) that interest them. Really useful if you connect to the right people such as leaders in your industry - it will give you a real idea of what their thoughts and influences are.

3. Google+ (Google Plus)
Google is a power house, this is no surprise. Originally launched as a search engine company in 1996, Google has continually added, updated and created new products that will appeal to it’s 1 billion unique visitors per month.

Google Plus was introduced in June 2011 for personal use and in November 2011 was opened to brands. Some of the features of Google+ include: Circles, Hangouts, Messenger, Instant Upload, Hashtags and more. These products are definitely designed with the user in mind. The downside – there is no way to create a vanity url for your brand page.

Even though this is Google’s fourth go at a social media site, you cannot deny the importance of adding your brand to there, if for search engine rankings alone.

4.YouTube.com
Google's video-sharing site, which has more than 1 billion unique visitors each month.
YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Increasingly gaining currency in the business world - YouTube is becoming a great platform for delivering video based testimonials, how to guides and commercials promoting products/services.

5. LinkedIn.com
The world's largest resume pool; a place to read career-oriented blogs and news articles.
Allows registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. This list can then be used to build business connections, to find jobs, and as a research tool to find out about someone before you do business with them / employ them / start work for them.

6.  Pinterest
A place to create and share links centered around visual themes.
If your products are visually appealing, then this social media site is for you. Pinterest is a vision board-styled social photo sharing site that was launched in 2009. The mission is to connect everyone in the world through shared taste and the things they find interesting.

Users find and create theme-based boards, populating these ‘boards’ with a “Pin It” button. Pins may be divided into pictures, videos, discussions, and gifts.

Users may follow anyone or any brand, users can also ‘re-pin’ your pinned items. Companies with product photos can gain a huge following and quick.

8. TumblrTumblr is an extremely popular social blogging platform heavily used by teens and younger users. Like Pinterest, it's popular for sharing visual content. You can customize your blog theme, post all different tpes of content formats, follow other users and be followed back. Reblogging and “liking” is a popular way to interact. If you post great content, you might be surprised to see how many followers you can attract.

8. Instagram
Photo app that allows you to apply artsy effects to your shots.
The revenue generated by an Instagram follower is 10 times greater than that generated by a Twitter follower, according to data analytics firm SumAll, so you'll get a lot of bang for your buck if you take take the time to post interesting shots of your products.
Instagram doesn't let you link pictures to your website, so connect your account to Facebook or Twitter so the photos are cross-posted there. Eli Rose's Jostes recommends using the hashtag to search for photos of your products and share those on your other social media pages.

9. Digg
Digg has a huge following online because of its optimum usability. Visitors can submit and browse articles in categories like technology, business, entertainment, sports and more. 

10. StumbleUpon