My Favorite Social Media Platforms

It has been said that social media can be a double edged sword. For some, it turns out to be a highly lucrative, productive resource. For others it can be the source of a lot of unneeded tension.

Personally, I have always loved social media. Being a young kid growing up during the early 2000s, I saw the evolution firsthand. From the rise of platforms like aim and Myspace, to the start of Facebook and Twitter, to seeing what social media has become today.

In this article I would like to share some of my own personal favorite social media platforms, and what I like most about them.

#5 Twitch

If you would have told people 50 years ago that kids today would be making millions streaming themselves playing video games to others, they would have been blown away. But, what makes Twitch so cool is that it has grown far beyond gaming. It is a very interesting group of people, and a platform where you can find everything from music, live podcasting, to so much more.

The community aspect of Twitch is a big part of what makes it so cool. I’ve spent a lot of evenings just hanging out and chatting while watching some of my favorite streamers, and it can honestly be a lot of fun.

There was actually an occasion a few years ago where instead of going out on New Year’s, I just stayed in and watched Twitch. There were a couple of really cool live streams going on, where guys were putting on special events for the start of the new year. Honestly, it was one of the better New Year’s I’ve ever had. I remember thinking to myself just how cool it was that I could be sitting there interacting with people from around the country like that, and watching what people had going on from miles away.

#4 Linkedin

Linkedin can be a versatile platform for business because of the way it lets you network and connect while also applying for jobs directly. You can share posts, write articles, connect and send resumes, and also explore job opportunities.

Linkedin also makes for a good platform to lay out your professional expertise. Employers and recruiters can check out your profile and get a clear snapshot of your past experience, skills, and overall background in a way that is more accessible than just a regular resume.

The networking aspect of Linkedin is what I personally appreciate most. Over the years I’ve had the chance to connect with so many cool people from there. Folks that have gone out of their way to share job opportunities, provide feedback, and show interest in my professional career path. For those reasons, Linkedin is definitely one of my top favorites.

#3 Twitter/X

As a writer, I have always loved Twitter. Although the character limit took some getting used to at first, over time it has become something I’ve grown to appreciate.

I first jumped on Twitter back in 2010, and right away I found the platform to be a lot of fun. The hashtags. The fact that it was completely acceptable to share 10-20 tweets in a single day. And also the fact that it was so easy to share photos and direct links as well.

To this day, these are some of the things I continue to appreciate about Twitter. Although I don’t use it as heavily as I used to, I still use it as a platform to promote my music and share content.

#2 Instagram

It would be hard to write a top 5 social media platforms list without at least mentioning Instagram. Instagram can be the go to platform for building brand and putting yourself out there. It is a cool platform with a lot of good looking people, and a lot of different niches to explore.

Personally, I am finding myself less interested with posting on Instagram these days. The platform is very heavily saturated and competitive. Since it’s so easy just to pull out your camera and take a picture, almost anyone and everyone has the ability to be some sort of a celebrity on there. However, for many, it turns more into wanting to look like a celebrity rather than actually showcase any sort of creative skills.

It’s so easy to fake it on Instagram these days. Fake followers. Rented cars and fake jewelry. But, even with all these things said, I still enjoy the platform. The story aspect is really cool (even if Snapchat did it first). The reels are entertaining. And like I said up top, there tends to be a lot of good looking people on there. For all these reasons, Instagram still gets added on to the list.

#1 YouTube

YouTube has always been my favorite platform. As said in a previous article, from the time that I first discovered it, I wanted to start posting and sharing.

What separates YouTube from most of the other platforms on this list is that you can use it to make some serious money. Instagram and Twitter can be great platforms to advertise and get content out, but in terms of actually building some significant wealth, YouTube tends to be the better option.

It can be very easy to write a tweet or take an Instagram photo, but putting together a YouTube video takes a lot more time. For this reason, most people tend to shy away from starting a YouTube channel. However, even with that said, almost everyone watches and consumes YouTube content. There is a very, very wide audience to provide to, and with that comes a lot of potential.

Honorable Mention: Reddit

Similar to Twitch, Reddit is a really cool platform to interact with an interesting community of people. It works a lot differently than Instagram or Twitter, and as far as I know, people don’t really use it to make money, but, it still deserves at least a mention.

As mentioned in a previous post, Reddit was a good platform for me during the pandemic. I can still remember being uplifted every evening as I would go on there and read about people’s life experiences and recent accomplishments. Subreddits like “happy” or “LifeAfterSchool” where people share recent things that have made them smile, or how things are going for them after high school or college. And also threads where people go in detail to share some of the happiest times of their lives.

Reddit can also be a great platform to advertise, and promote. When I first started releasing music consistently back in 2021, Reddit was one of the platforms I would go to promote as an artist starting from scratch. From doing that I have had the chance to get a lot of feedback and engagement, and have also had the chance to connect with a lot of other hard working individuals. Folks that have music review shows, consistently put out music related content, and even release hip hop music themselves.

Final Thoughts

In today’s world, social media is a great resource to build wealth, build brand, and connect with others. Even though it can be a source of unneeded tension for some, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. However, like all good things, social media is best used in moderation. It should never be used to substitute genuine, in person connection.

Social media is best used in addition to what you’ve already got going on in regular life. In other words, social media is just the place where you organize it all and put it out there. The real work and the real living gets done up and outside. Social media is just the place where it gets shared for financial and personal gain.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. As always, I hope that you have enjoyed. Please let me know some of your own favorite social media platforms in the comments below. And other than that, I will see you on the next article.