Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?

Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?:

from Your Lead Generation Methods Have to Change | chrisbrogan.com by ceb

Why should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like?
That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that?
Here’s the video she meant:

Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy.
On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough.

Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?

First, it’s your call which of the social networks or tools you think of as an outlier. I was just crapping on SnapChat in a conversation with Noah Kagan and he told me that he thought it was a great way to share something that’s meant to exist only “in the moment.” (My argument was that it’s a great way to share pictures of boobies, which is evidently how folks seem to use it, according to 5,080,911 blog posts to that effect.)
Second, realize that sometimes the answer really is “why not?”
But my answer is different:

1. It’s fun.
2. It’s simple.
3. It lets me express myself in a “liner notes”/unplugged kind of way.
4. It’s yet another way to augment what you’re doing, if you want it to be (see my early thoughts on Vine).
5. It’s a bite sized way to participate, especially if you’re getting your toes in the water.

SnackBytes

A gazillion years ago, super smart Deb Schultz wrote about SnackBytes, as she called them. Snackable content. The idea being that we’re too busy for a meal, so let’s just have a content snack.
I’d even argue that long before Deb, USAToday had snackable content long before every US newspaper started copying their format of tiny bite-sized info.
What’s Pinterest or (my favorite) Gentlemint but a nod towards snackbytes?

Should YOU Use These Networks?

I get that kind of question a lot. The answer is: you don’t have to do anything. I have recommendations, of course.
But here’s what I believe: if you’re working on building your media empire, and communicating about that around the outposts (all language covered in this course), you’ll find that you might enjoy having a way to talk “off-message,” as well. Now, you can choose anywhere to do that, but I think places like Vine or Instagram or Pinterest, etc, are a great way to allow us to be more human, while not getting in the way of the larger tapestry of our efforts.
I could be wrong. What do YOU think?