Social Media Sites To Avoid

You already know that social media can be a very useful tool for business. But, there are some social networks that aren’t worth your time. This is by no means a list of social media sites that I dislike. This is a list of sites that are not beneficial to business owners.

Flickr

Unless you’re a photographer, you’re better off putting your content elsewhere. The user flow on Flickr is not set up in a way that brings attention to your brand. Content on Flickr is aimed at the pictures themselves, not the person posting them. This paired with the fewer degrees of interaction on Flickr compared to other social networks puts them in a bad position.

But, most importantly, their traffic is on the decline. This should be a red flag for any business. Your goal with social media is to leverage their users to your benefit. If their numbers are decreasing, it is a much better idea to find where those people are going.

Suggested Alternatives: Instagram, Facebook

Vine

Videos are the best content you can share. There is no getting around that. But, unless you’re an entertainer, Vine might not be for you. This is because of the constraints around content and the user base.

The argument, “you can’t get a point across in seven seconds,” has been made before. And, given the appropriate genre, is apparently wrong. But, those constraints can be difficult for a professional brand to work with. Granted, it could be used for a playful ad campaign to build trust through repetition. Even though, you have to keep in mind that the audience is there for entertainment. A sales pitch or offer won’t go over well.

Again, like Flickr, Vine is seeing less and less traffic.

Suggested Alternatives: YouTube, Vimeo

Ask.Fm

Ask has a very large user base and their numbers are increasing. Their users are young and very interactive with the people they follow as well. Why avoid Ask.Fm as a business owner? It comes down to their users.

Toxic behavior and bullying aside, the users at Ask.Fm are not interested in interacting with brands. And, the majority that may be interested are too young to convert into actual customers. For questions and answers, you’re better off going with a different site with a more diverse audience.

Suggested Alternatives: Twitter, Facebook

The Better Business Bureau

Although not a social network, The Better Business Bureau deserves a spot on this list. For decades, The Better Business Bureau was the authority on the quality of a business. A bad Better Business Bureau rating could hurt a business. Today? Not so much.

The Better Business Bureau —contrary to popular belief— is not affiliated with the government. This puts them on the same level as Yellow Pages, Yelp, and Google My Business. The difference being: you have to pay for a listing and they get less traffic. There have also been a few controversies over how they rate businesses as well.

When it comes to review sites, you have much better options with more users and no cost. It would definitely be worth it to spend your time elsewhere.

Suggested Alternatives: Yelp, Yellow Pages

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