Just as human beings are active socially in real life, so they are in the world of computers and mobile phones. People walk around with eyes glued to their screens constantly checking social media apps for updates to find out what their friends are doing.
Social media is not just all about chatting to friends and family. It can be put to good use by businesses and companies. Link a Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter platform to your business and you can promote what you are selling. Social media is used by companies the world over to attract more visitors and it works. While some social media sites are more popular than others, such as Facebook, there are many out there.
Why Are Social Media Sites So Popular?
Before going onto my list of some of the many sites and apps out to choose from in relation to social media and sharing, I want to talk about why these sites are so popular.
So what draws millions of people to join and participate in the following sites? When I began researching into social media sites, I found the actual numbers of people using the sites staggering. For instance, Facebook alone is said to have upwards of 900,000,000 unique active users. Twitter was close behind it with around 310,000,000 monthly visitors. This is a staggering number of people and only two social media sites, the mind boggles.
Social Media Channels Give People a Voice
One of the main reasons why social media is so popular is that it gives people a voice. They can speak out to millions of people from around the world they otherwise would not have access. For businesses, this is a lifeline. Online businesses can attract customers from around the world, not just their own country, just by posting on social media.
Often families live apart, some millions of miles apart in separate countries. Social media can be a valuable lifeline, a bridge. It fills the void and brings people closer together. Many years ago, there were only letters. Today social media sites allow people to send messages instantly, talk online and even have voice and video calls. People millions of miles apart are brought together through the power of social media.
Social media platforms allow employers and employees to get together. It allows businesses to communicate new ideas and so much more.
Here I want to introduce you to more than 60 social media sites and apps. As the list is so long, I am going to split them up.
List of Social Media Websites
- Tumblr
- Google+
- Skype
- Viber
- Snapchat
- QZone
- Baidu Tieba
- Sina Weibo
- LINE
- YY
- VKontakte
- Telegram
- Taringa
- Foursquare
- Renren
- Tagged
- Badoo
- MySpace
- StumbleUpon
- The Dots
- Kiwibox
- Skyrock
- Delicious
- Snapfish
- ReverbNation
- Flixster
- Care2
- CafeMom
- Ravelry
- Nextdoor
- Wayn
- Cellufun
- YouTube
- Vine
- Classmates
- MyHeritage
- Viadeo
- Xanga
- LiveJournal
- Friendster
- Funny or Die
- Gaia Online
- We Heart It
- Buzznet
- DeviantArt
- Flickr
- MeetMe
- MeetUp
- Tout
- Mixi
- Vero
- Spreely
- Periscope
- Plaxo
- Howcast
- Vimeo
- Fubber
Now let’s take a look in details to each social media network, and start with the most popular:
1. Facebook
Facebook is without a doubt one of the most popular of all social apps with apps being available for Android, iOS, Windows and many other systems. To obtain a Facebook account you have to be at least 13 and have an email address that is valid.
Facebook was the first of the social media sites to reach 1 billion users and the number of people making accounts just keeps on rising. Facebook is perhaps so popular because it allows friends and relatives to keep in touch by updating timelines and sending messages. However, I also use Facebook for business and for selling online. I promote my business and make use of Facebook ads. Facebook is used to post comments, photos, videos, and other content, all of which can be shared with friends and family and anyone who chooses to add a user as a friend.
Friend requests can be sent out to people and there is a search option for searching for people you have lost touch with. It is a great and popular way of keeping in touch and there are numerous options for customization of the users Facebook page.
Facebook is thought of as one of the first social media sites to come into existence and it was the brainchild of a group of friends. They made the social media app in a dorm room in college with the name of The Facebook. It is thought that today Facebook now has a net worth of $24 billion.
2. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is another popular choice of social media apps. This is not surprising as it belongs to Facebook. The instant messaging platform is independent of Facebook and has attracted plenty of users. The social media platform is fast, it is easy to use and messaging people through the app is free.
I like WhatsApp because along with being able to message people I can also call them through the app. Just as with Facebook, there are about one billion users per month using the app. WhatsApp is available on Android phones, Windows phone, and iPhone, Windows PC and Mac.
There is also a WhatsApp business available for companies and businesses to keep in touch. Small business owners can show off their products, tag their business under a category, list their shop address, and telephone number. They can also add a description of the business and opening hours. Businesses can label contacts so finding them is easy and the app offers quick replies for fast messaging. Another useful addition is messaging statistics. I like this inclusion as it allows me to see the messages that were sent, delivered, and more importantly, read. The business app is available for Android devices.
3. Tumblr
Tumblr is another of the most popular social media apps and has been in the hands and since 2013; it has been in the hands of Yahoo. Tumblr is different from the other apps in that it is also a microblogging platform.
This site offers users the chance to find new things and follow things they like. Almost any type of media can be posted to the social media site. Tumblr can also be customized and the app allows for posting of multimedia. Tumblr has around 555 million users per month.
4. Instagram
Instagram is something of a unique social media tool as it solely based on the sharing of videos and photos. It is most popular for photo sharing allowing users to capture their day-to-day activities and share them.
Instagram is popular as it also offers filters for photos so users can have fun altering photos of themselves and sharing the results. Users have been known to come up with some creative ideas, turning photos of everyday objects into works of art. Photos can also be sent to Twitter and Facebook. The app has around 400 million users per month. Instagram is now a part of the Twitter and Facebook group.
5. Twitter
Twitter attracts around 320 million people each month all of whom send out “Tweets” to friends and those who choose to follow. Tweeting is a way of sharing with friends and family via short messages. I also use it for promoting my business through Tweets. Other people can also like tweets.
Users can choose to follow other people based on interests. Many celebrities use Twitter and have official accounts; these have a blue tick at the side of them. This is a great way of finding out the latest news from celebrities that you follow and you know it is who they claim to be.
Photos and videos can also be used in posts and users have the option of viewing the latest trends.
Twitter is most famous for its hashtags, the “#” symbol on the keyboard. This represents a certain subject. For instance, #ocean, a talk about oceans and seas, or #Trump, a discussion about everything related to Donald Trump. When typing the hashtag people who used that hashtag before generally read your Tweet.
With Twitter direct messages can be sent to people, these are private messages that only the recipient can see. This can be useful for companies and businesses to send messages to employees or send private pictures you do not want others to see.
6. Google+
Google+ is a social networking platform with about 300 million users. The site and app allow people to share messages, videos, and photos, along with site links. It works with Hangouts so that businesses are able to promote their products and brands on the business pages of Google+.
Google+ is widely used by companies and businesses as a marketing tool. It allows people to reach out to others in a different way than using Facebook or Twitter. Posts on Google+ are generally given high priority in Google search. Hashtags can also be used to increase the reach and specific groups can be targeted.
7. Skype
Skype is a Microsoft owned social networking platform available on many devices with around 300 million users each month. People can chat through webcam, text messaging and voice calls. Skype is popular with businesses and I use it for conference calls. Skype-to-Skype calls are free for users wherever you live in the world.
Skype is a popular choice among businesses. Costs of calls are kept to a minimum and there is an app specifically for businesses. Using the Skype for business app, businesses can keep track of expenditures for calls. Skype for business is also a great way of having face-to-face meetings without the associated costs of travel.
8. Viber
Around 249 million people per month use Viber and it is a multi-lingual social media platform. It offers voice messaging and text messaging. People use the platform for sharing videos, audio messages, and photos using a feature built into the software called Viber Out.
9. Snapchat
Snapchat is another popular image sharing social apps. Friends use the platform to share pictures and photos. It is also possible to explore news channels and live stories from around the world.
10. LinkedIn
For professional social networking sites, there is none more popular than LinkedIn. This is popular among companies and businesses. Around 100 million people use the app each month from around the world. It is an app used by businesses to offer jobs and hire candidates. Users of LinkedIn make a profile including the business and work position they are in and millions of people from around the world can see this. If someone is interested in connecting with you, they contact you. I have an account on LinkedIn and highly recommend it for social networking.
There are extensive job listings on LinkedIn bringing potential employers and employees together. The social site has a search function and this is the site chosen by many of the top brands when they are recruiting.
The site allows users to give and receive endorsements along with testimonials. The platform also allows co-workers to connect with each other along with making important business connections.
11. QQ
Tencent QQ was first launched in China and following its popularity, it became used internationally. Around 853 million people use the site each month. QQ is a chat-based social media app, also known as an instant messaging app. Today people in more than 80 different countries use it to keep in touch with friends and family. It supports voice chat, video and text, and it has a built-in translator.
12. WeChat
The company Tencent also developed WeChat over in China, where it was first launched. Around 697 million people use the site and app each month. Many people in China use both WeChat and QQ side by side. This social media app is not as popular in the West as it is in the East.
13. QZone
QZone is also a Chinese based social media app and yet another one from Tencent. The social app supports a wide range of media. This includes sharing of photos, videos, and music. It also supports blogging and diaries can be kept. QZone is very customizable as users can change the feel and look of the webpage, they make with the app.
14. Baidu Tieba
Baidu Tieba is another offering of a social media group app from China. Baidu is actually a company behind a search engine and internationally it is known as Postbar. This works by way of a discussion forum that allows users to create social networking groups about a specific topic. There are around 300 million users using Baidu Tieba.
15. Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo is another social platform popular in China and this is a microblogging platform. This offers a mixture of the features of Facebook and Twitter, which has ensured it has been popular in China and other countries with around 222 million users each month.
16. LINE
LINE is a popular messaging social networking app that has 215 million users per month from around the world. The social network site allows its users to share videos, text messages, and photographs. One feature that has made it very popular is the fact that users can make voice or video calls at any time.
17. YY
Another Chinese social networking platform is YY or YY.com. Around 122 million people use the app each month and it is video based. Users are able to take part in-group video chats and it is possible for more than 100,000 members to all watch the activity of a single person who posts online. People generally post tutorials and by doing so, they earn themselves virtual money, which is later converted into real money.
18. VKontakte
VKontakte is a Russian based social media app available for Windows, iPhone, and Android. The app is in English and is very popular and an alternative to Facebook. The app attracts around 100 million users each month with sign up being available online and downloads on offer for various devices.
19. Pinterest
Pinterest has been around for some time and has around 100 million monthly users. Pinterest is a photo sharing and photograph bookmarking social media site. This is a great choice for businesses relying on photographs of products to sell those products. The site has photos with links to numerous projects including DIY and crafts.
20. Telegram
Telegram is a social media-messaging network that is very much like WhatsApp. This social media app is available on many platforms and in many languages. What stands out and attracts its 100 million monthly users is the fact that messages and encrypted and they self-destruct over a period. Telegram has always offered this feature and WhatsApp recently added it into their platform.
21. Reddit
Reddit is very popular with gamers, has around 100 million viewers per month, and is extremely popular around the world. This social media site allows people to upload content then later go on to vote on the content posted. When votes are made, the uploaded content will go up or down, depending on the votes, based on things of interest. These are called subreddits.
22. Taringa
Taringa is a Latin-American offering of social media site. Users can share links, videos, images, texts and write short posts to submit to the forum. The platform lists topics that are hot along with the most recently posted topics to browse. There is also a link to a gaming page belonging to the community.
23. Foursquare
Foursquare is not the typical social media app but I am going to include it as users can mingle with each other and plan on where they want to go. The app is a search and discover social media platform, showing locations based on the user’s location. It offers search results for such as food, entertainment and more. The social networking feature used to be built into Foursquare but is now on a separate with the name of Swarm.
24. Renren
Another social networking app from China and the biggest. This is a platform suitable for everyone no matter his or her location. The app has around 30 million people viewing each month and is popular because it is very similar to the features offered by Facebook. The app offers users the option of connecting with each other and sharing posts along with thoughts. Users are even able to update their status based on their mood.
25. Tagged
Tagged is a social media site with the main aim being based on friendship along with finding a date? The social media app was taken over by another company called hi5. This social media platform allows its 25 million users to get together and play games, share common interests and browse profiles.
26. Badoo
Badoo is another social networking site with the aim of dating. It has been made available in more than 200 countries with the app sharing details about people living close by in the same region. Users are also able to find out information about people they have met in real life. Around 20 million users use Badoo each month.
27. MySpace
MySpace is a top music-focused social network site allowing people to gather to share and listen to music and videos. The site offers its 20 million viewers per month a network of friends along with blogs and the option to create personal profiles.
28. StumbleUpon
If social networking platforms had intelligence then StumbleUpon would be the most intelligent of them all. The platform allows its 25 million users to find and discover different types of content and then make recommendations. This means the platform can help users to find web pages, videos, and images that they might not have normally seen and then rate them.
29. The Dots
Anyone who is creative might want to check out The Dots. This is a relatively new social media-networking site launched in 2014 in the UK. The platform helps people to collaborate, connect and commercialize thus building up a creative sector that is diverse, stronger and profitable.
30. Kiwibox
Kiwibox is among the social media sites for community-based social networking aimed more at people living in New York in the United States. The site offers its users an online magazine aimed at teenagers. Kiwibox gives teens information about fashion, along with providing an interface for chatting. The site gives teens the chance to tell everyone about the things they are interested in and the skills they have.
31. Skyrock
Skyrock has a base in France but this social media app is offered in English and other languages too. The platform gives its users the option to create a free web space. The web space can be used for exchanging messages with friends and family, adding profiles and creating blogs and posts.
32. Delicious
Delicious is the number one social bookmarking website. The site was launched in 2003 and it is a great option for finding, storing and sharing web bookmarks. Users can also choose to tag what they find with keywords so that others can find them.
33. Snapfish
Snapfish is a networking social media site relying on users uploading and sharing photographs. This is a great choice if you love photography as it offers unlimited storage of photos.
34. ReverbNation
Musicians use ReverbNation for social networking so that they get in contact with others in the same industry as them, music. Musicians can meet other musicians along with gaining access to tools that they can use to manage their music career. The platform also gives them access to the music industry.
35. Flixster
If you like movies, I recommend joining the Flixster social networking group. This site is from the USA but offers anyone who enjoys watching movies to connect and share reviews and ratings. Flixster offers users the chance to learn about new and old movies along with getting information about up and coming movies.
36. Care2
Care2 is a social media site that allows activists from around the globe to get together with other like-minded people. It is a favorite of organizations and businesses along with giving people the chance to learn about and turn to a healthier and greener lifestyle.
37. CafeMom
Think mothers and meeting in cafes and you are on the right track with CafeMom. This is a social networking social media site encouraging moms or mommy’s to-be to get together for advice and support on a range of topics. Advice is given on pregnancy but also on fashion, health, food and a range of other topics.
38. Ravelry
Ravelry is a community for those who take an interest in fiber arts. The community is made up of knitters, weavers, those who spin and crochet. If it is all about wool, it is talked about in the social network that is community-based.
39. Nextdoor
Nextdoor is solely used in the United States as a social networking platform. It encourages people living in the same area to get together and chat.
40. Wayn
If you are like me and like to visit new places you have never visited before, you might want to check out Wayn. This social media site offers ideas for fun and interesting places to visit. It is a lifestyle and travel platform for like-minded people to get together and talk about their travel and life experiences.
41. Cellufun
Cellufun is a gaming community specifically for those who love playing and learning about games. The community is available on mobile devices. It allows people to meet up to socialize, chat, create avatars, buy virtual goods and even play games on mobile devices.
42. YouTube
YouTube focuses on videos and is one of the most popular of all video-based social networking sites. The site allows users to upload videos in a wide range of categories for others to watch and rate. The categories of videos are huge and some of the most popular are tutorials. Videos uploaded can range from just a few minutes to a couple of hours long. The social networking channel allows commenting on videos and video views are counted. It is a great way of going viral with any video.
43. Vine
Vine is yet another video-based social media site with the focus being on entertainment. It is a short-form video sharing social media site focusing on videos no longer than 6 seconds in length. Vine is a member of the Twitter family, and it can be integrated into many social networking platforms for users to watch along with share videos.
44. Classmates
I used classmates when I was trying to track down friends I went to school with who I had lost touch. It allows classmates to find each other and connect back up then keep in touch. It works with schools and colleges and finding old classmates is relatively easy, if they are on the site or someone else that was at school at the same time as you as yearbooks can be uploaded. This is a great platform for finding and reuniting with long lost school friends.
45. MyHeritage
Anyone who wonders about his or her heritage can sign up with MyHeritage. This is a genealogy social platform supporting over 42 different languages so it is available around the world. It allows users to create their own family tree, upload and browse photographs of family and manage family history. This is a great site for those who have lost touch with relatives who find them again through the website.
46. Viadeo
Viadeo is social networking for businesses. While it began in Europe and this is where most of the users are from, anyone can join. It allows business owners big and small to keep in contact with each other and it is available in many languages.
47. Xing
Xing mainly attracts people from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria but it is available outside of these countries. Again, this is a professional networking site. It offers many of the features of LinkedIn. What makes it stand out is the fact that closed group discussions may be held between business members or companies.
48. Xanga
Xanga is a blog based social network platform that allows its users to create blogs, upload photos and make social networking profiles. It can be used on a desktop PC or mobile device and the site has user themes for customization.
49. LiveJournal
LiveJournal is based in San Francisco and it is available to residents of Russia, along with the rest of the world. In Russia, the social media platform has the name of Zhe Zhe. The site allows users to keep a journal, diary or small blog and it comes with privacy controls. While not being a social media platform per-se, I have included it as you can share what you have been up to with friends and relatives.
50. Friendster
Friendster began life as a social networking site for making friends and allowed members to stay in touch. It then turned into a social gaming network site, mainly for residents of Asia who like to play games. Now the site is “taking a break”.
51. Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a social website offering videos. The social site claims to bring together the funniest videos out there. The platform is very popular with celebrities and A-listers. The comedy video site also allows users to upload, share and rate videos in much the same way as YouTube videos.
52. Gaia Online
If you are into forums and like anime, you might want to check out Gaia Online. The social media site focuses on anime. It gives users the chance to gain access to avatars, virtual worlds, games and more.
53. We Heart It
As if there were not enough photo sharing apps and sites online, we have one more here. I have included this one because it allows its users to upload photos and artwork that is inspirational, or which provides motivation. There is a lot of hate in the world today but none at We Heart It. If you want a daily dose of inspiration or motivation check out this social media sharing site.
54. Buzznet
Want to get a buzz then head and join Buzznet. This popular site lets users share content. Users select the content they want to see based on personal interest. Users can upload photos, videos and keep journals about what they have been doing in life to get a buzz.
55. DeviantArt
DeviantArt is one of the more popular social network communities for artists and those who have a passion for art. It is also one of the biggest. Users can browse artwork created by others by searching for topics or upload their own art. If you have a passion for art, drawing, painting, modeling or any other form, join this community.
56. Flickr
Flickr is another very popular photo-sharing social media site. The site allows its members to upload high-quality images. The site will not just accept any image; it has to be of high quality to share it. It is a popular platform among photographers and people who appreciate high-quality images.
57. MeetMe
MeetMe used to go by the name of MyYearbook. The whole idea of the site is to find new friends, get to know them and chat with them. MeetMe is very popular among with young students and teenagers but anyone around the world can sign up to join.
58. MeetUp
This site is very similar to MeetMe in that it is a social networking site allowing groups of people with very similar interests to get meetup. The site offers meetups for people who live locally and people from anywhere in the world can join and use the site. Users are able to take part in group conversations and have discussions.
59. Tout
Tout is more along the lines of a micro-blogging site but some people do class it as social networking. The platform allows its users to share and watch videos that are no longer than 15 seconds, so the videos are relatively short. The videos shown on the social media platform are called touts, hence the name of the site.
60. Mixi
20 million people in Japan use the Mixi social media sites. The social networking platform is very popular in Japan allowing its users to connect with family and friends. The platform also allows users to find friends based on areas of interest.
61. Vero
If you love anything enough to want to share it, you should head over to Vero and sign up for an account, according to the people behind it. The developer takes pride in offering a social media platform where users have total control over what they share and who they share it with.
If you like using Facebook, but do not like the fact that they collect information about their users and have been breached in the past; Vero may be a good alternative. The site is very much like Facebook in regard to the features it offers but does not collect personal details. Vero has also stated that the address the issue of becoming addicted to social media but just how they do this is unclear.
Another great thing that stands out when using Vero is that there are no annoying ads showing up while you are viewing or writing content. This is a subscription-based social network platform but it may be well worth it for what you get, security.
62. Spreely
Spreely is a social media site with a difference. In this case, users are not censored as they are with Facebook and other social media platforms. Users are free from what are termed “shadow bans” and the name for the site derives from “Speak” and “Freely”. Spreely has a focus on freedom of speech, again unlike so many other social media websites out there.
63. Periscope
Periscope is beginning to take the video sharing platform by storm around the world. Anyone who is interested in live video and sharing his or her life with the rest of the world might be interested in looking.
64. Plaxo
Plaxo has address books of more than 40 million people. This social media sharing site offers what they call Pulse, a dashboard allowing sharing by people all over the globe. The dashboard is one of the main strengths of this platform and is used by small companies and businesses. However, it is not as popular as LinkedIn.
65. Howcast
Howcast is not a typical social media site but it is worth mentioning in my list. The site attracts people from all over the world who want to watch “How to videos”. It is in competition with YouTube but not nearly as popular. Howcast allows users to post high-quality videos showing other people how to do things and is well worth a look if you are stuck with a project you know nothing about.
66. Vimeo
Vimeo is another social platform for high-end videos. Videos can be shared among the community members and this site is the one to go if you are selling videos. Videos can be offered for sale by download or users can sign up to stream videos and watch them online through the platform. While it is not a typical social media site, it does have a large community of both individuals and businesses so is worth including here in the list.
67. Buffer
No list for social media sites and sharing would be complete with adding Buffer onto it. This is a social media platform offering a tool to manage and schedule Tweets and Facebook updates all from the same page. It is along the same lines as Hootsuite and TweetDeck. To manage Facebook posts and Tweets users sign up for an account with Buffer and the social media site acts as a buffer between your other social media accounts. This is a great site for those who send out lots of posts or Tweets as they can all be managed from the web browser. Posts and Tweets can also be scheduled for the future.
Conclusion
As you can see from the above, there are many social media sites available online. While many people generally think of Facebook and Twitter, as these are the two most popular, they are by no means the only options.
To round things up the best social media sites for growing your business includes:
- LinkedIn – the site offers recruitment and customer engagement;
- Twitter – very handy for sending out Tweets about new products;
- Facebook – a great social media application for promoting businesses;
- Instagram – around 48% of brands now use this for marketing.
Having such a huge choice is great for diversity. Social media apps can be used on the go and are tailored for mobile devices such as phones and tablets. This means you always have a way to contact and interact with customers.
Some of the best social media apps for sharing with friends and family include:
- Facebook – It allows people to remain connected when out and share details about their lifestyle;
- Instagram – popular for sending quick snaps showing what you are doing;
- Twitter – a great way for friends and family to keep in touch with short messages;
- Snapchat – another popular app for when out and about to share photos and small videos with friends and family.
There is essentially a social media site suitable for everyone out there. Whether wanting business advice, health advice, child or pregnancy advice, or you want to talk about your favorite subject in life. There are sites offering tutorials and webinars by way of blog posts and how-to videos, the choices are limitless.
Some of the best sites and apps for photographers are:
- Instagram – gives photographers a chance to highlight and show off photographs;
- Pinterest – photographers can build backlinks through this social media site to their websites;
- Flickr – One of the best online photo sharing applications and photo management sites out there.
If like me, you are fed up with being censored and having personal data collected and used you might want to check out:
- Vero
- Spreely
The best social media apps and sites for videos include:
- YouTube – without a doubt one of the best social media sites and social apps for uploading and sharing videos with a wide audience;
- Vimeo – another great option for sharing high-quality videos with people from around the globe. This is a solid option for small businesses and companies;
- Instagram – with Instagram receiving more than 4.2 billion like every day this is a great choice for uploading videos to share with its millions of active users;
- Snapchat – this is another popular choice among those who share videos and a great choice for short snappy intros to entice people to buy new products.
So are you a member of any of the above social media sites or social media apps or have you found a new one from the list above and are going to join. Have fun and stay safe online.
