Illustration of a mobile phone with social media chat bubbles.

Guide to social media platforms

Social media platforms have become a major part of how people interact with each other and share content. For creators, this provides a viable way to get the word out for their work.

But social media platforms come and go. What was widely used before may not be now. And what’s widely used now, may not be in the future. And this matters because a social media platform is dependent on its level of activity. Your goal should be to build relationships with your audience that go beyond any individual social media platform.

What to look for

Here are some things to consider when evaluating whether to use a social media platform. Or multiple platforms.

Types of social media platforms

Classic platforms

Bluesky (the new old Twitter), X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook are traditional social media platforms.

Content platforms

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc, can be good ways to gain audiences using their content formats.

Niche platforms

Tumblr, Discord, Reddit, Slack, and Pinterest have specific audiences and are worth looking into.

Effectively connect to your audience

Because of how social media platforms come and go, you should ensure you have ways your audience can follow you directly, beyond social media platforms. Start a blog for updates. And an email list to send out to. This is a way to build your own community that you have full control over.

Central updates

Use a template and a visual editor to post updates on your own platform: your website. Let your fans follow your updates using either RSS or email.

View template

Screenshot of website theme example

Share this guide: Send via email | Copy link URL