Twitter is a fantastic way to make your name known on the internet. Sadly, however, it isn’t a great fit for every businesses. If Twitter’s giving you more headaches than clicks, try one of these great alternative services.
Tumblr
Many online marketers are quickly coming to rely on Tumblr, viewing it as viable alternative to the mighty Twitter. Although it has existed in one form or another since 2007, attracting a respectable number of followers, it’s only in the last year or so that Tumblr has really stepped out of the competition’s shadow, becoming one of the web’s fastest-growing micro-blogging destinations.
Although it was originally created to host blog-style, text-oriented content, Tumblr has found its niche as the internet’s premier place to host and share images. As a result, many social media subscribers view Tumblr as a vibrant, artistic place, especially when compared to Twitter. This makes it perfect for businesses with a lot of creative energy, or a strong visual identity.
Aside from its image-focused capabilities, Tumblr can do almost everything Twitter can, making it a great alternative for small and medium sized business who want to do something a little different.
Plurk
Little-known social media platform Plurk is another Twitter-alike that’s been around since the late noughties. What really sets Plurk apart from Twitter is its excellent interface, which posts content to users’ walls as part of a labyrinth, massively detailed time-line.
Based in Taiwan, Plurk may not be the ideal choice if you’re chasing business locally. If, however, you’re looking to make an impact overseas and make contact with a whole new audience, it could be just the thing to kick-start your international aspirations.
Identi.ca
In simple terms, Identi.ca is an open-source program that has been retooled by coders, programmers and software engineers to mimic Twitter’s functionality. Like the service that inspired it, Identi.ca allows users to post short, 140-character missives, follow their friends, and manage their time-line. One major advantage it has over Twitter is the presence of groups, making it easier to reach large numbers of users that share a common interest.
It’s also a great place to frequent if you’re in the software business, as the community boasts one of the internet’s largest populations of technology enthusiasts, software engineers and programming prodigies.
