LO1: Task 1

Instagram

A) Purpose 
Instagram originally was unique, during their beta testing and early versions of the social media, users could only share pictures. This was different to rivals Twitter and Facebook, as every post had to have visual context. Another reason for using Instagram is sending a Direct Message (DM) to any Instagram user, this is allows new people to talk while friends and family chat. Instagram is popular with lots celebrities for some users they just want see what they are doing. IG (Instagram)has a page called discover, the purpose of this is to connect users with other users with similar context what they have uploaded or user likes. Users can follow people, comment on posts, share posts and like posts.

B) Content

Content is varied on Instagram as it will have something for everyone. Instagram latest version allows users to share pictures and videos what you can record for up to 14 seconds. Since being acquired by Facebook in 2012 two years after initial release, the social media has have raise of "Sponsored Post”'s (advertisements). On posts Instagram has a forum what user can interact.

C) Taget Audience

This free social media allows users to sign up email or though their Facebook, they do this to make it easier users who have Facebook and for those who haven't it's advertisement.Instagram has a wide range of users, using it for different purposes. For some users Instagram portfolio of their photography, graphic design and many more business and hobby portfolios. However, Instagram is used to share pictures of what you are doing and who your with and where you are, I'd would say that this is the more personal side of this social media. But the main users of Instagram are males and females ranged 18-35, the reason this a non specific main user profile is because IG has 400 million users.

D) Revenue

When Kevin System, Mike Krueger first launched in there startup 2010 they had gone though numerous stages of crowd funding, without an actual source of revenue. However they did have a source called  "good will' this is where a company takes information that people have uploaded though the company and then sells it on. Of course you have to own the information, this was built into the T&C's to avoid  legal problems. However after a legal battle with user Instagram now can't own videos and pictures from users, however they do own any other information on the video. Now they have adverts what are built into the social feed. Instagram by the end of this years quarter will have brought in a revenue of $1.48 billion and  $2.81  billion by the end of 2017, just off adverts alone.

E) Legal and Ethical 

Instagram is now owned Facebook, Facebook is worth $245 billion, therefore they don't want any legal battles, this is why their "Terms of use" covers them from all angles. However, their terms of use can apply to individuals.

1. Users have to be at least 13 years old.

2. Users can't post violent, nude, partially nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive  photos or other content  via Instagram

3. Users can't use the service as an e-commerce.

4. Users are responsible for their password.

They are many more policies what Instagram have. They basically state that anything unlawful or unethical is not allowed and it's the users who are libel in a court of law. As a service Instagram make users report images and videos for reason what violate the "Terms of use", this means that Instagram isn't libel for any of the uploads to their forum.

Another problem that Instagram has recently faced is the moving data from country, after new laws been set in place companies can't move their data to different severs in the world. Meaning that if you upload a picture in England then the picture has to stay on the English sever.

Facebook 

A) Purpose 

From a marketing point of view Facebook allows businesses, organisations and public figures to connect with their audience trough the forum. This service allows business to grow and find new customers, it will also help to inform clients/customers what is happening if there is special offers on ect. With Facebook business and other types of pages can reach large number of people with targeted advertising, creating ads just for Facebook that are tailored to Facebook's appearance.

B) Content Personal users have the ability to write posts, share multimedia content, share web addresses what opens within the forum, check-in you location, to comment and like other posts on the users feed.  These also apply to pages. However, pages have the ability to promote their post to target audience set buy the page, but this service costs.

C) Taget Audience

Facebook target audience was originally for university students to socialise and plan events. However since it has a very wide target audience as it's contents are different from people as of what their "friends" post and share on the wall. However I would say that Facebook has lager market share with digital natives.

D) Revenue

Facebook make their revenue through various sources; advertising, mobile advertising,  games, gift store, credits. Advertising is the main source of revenue. Business can directly hit their target audience trough Facebook's service. Facebook do this by categorising users by age, gender, friends, location and interests. I.e. if a user likes a post related to Coca-Cola, then the ads related to that will be showing up to that user. Advertising on mobile cost more as the screens of phones is smaller this means people are more likely to click on the ads evan if by accident, this form of advertising brings in 30% of their revenue.  Facebook has games on their forum, these games are free but you can purchase items with in the game, they split Facebook takes 70% of the earning and Zynga (game developer) take 30%. Users can also buy credits to purchase something from the gift store or in a game.

E) Legal and Ethical 

Facebook's Terms and Policies are split into three parts; Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Data Use and Community Standards. The Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, is the main part of the Terms and Policies. In the document Facebook sate they are not responsible for anything that my have caused damages or other losses, this means that are libel for anything posted to their forum. Like Instagram users have to report users for violating the T&P's, the user has a choice to block them (this option is put in as Facebook is most used on mobile phones and apple who holds 50% of the market, says social applications have to have a blocking feature). If a user has repeatedly violated the T&P's they will be banned from Facebook.

Twitter  

A) Purpose
Twitter is a microblogging platform, which enables users to post, and send to other users, short messages. These short messages, these are called “Tweets”. The Twitter platform can be accessed through a website interface or a mobile app. 

B) Content

Twitter is used by people to update their friends, celebrities to interact with their fans, political organisations to mobilise users around specific issues, businesses to share information with consumers, and help the business grow though organic or paid advertisement.

Twitter has a large variety of content, one of the reasons the platform has grown so much is because they buy out other platforms and incorporate them into the app such as Periscope and Vine. However Periscope isn’t built in to twitter the still link the profiles up and you can tweet the link to the stream. Twitter is main functions is the “tweet”,  this allows you to write a post within a 140 characters, this is good as it allows users to write short statements of there opinions and feelings without clogging up the feed, allowing a good user flow. You can also tweet videos and pictures.

C) Target Audience 

Twitter is a free for user to sign up. Twitter is designed for a mass audience, Henry Jenkins in 2006  talks about digital natives who have grown up with the launch of web 2.0. Digital natives are more likely to this platform  as they will understand the way twitter works and not have to learn to use it.

D) Revenue

Twitter makes money from advertisement, business on twitter can pay to have post promoted. Last year twitter made 710.47 million dollars and saw a 25% increases in revenue from the previous year. The advertisement works on pay for click, however business still have to pay if people see in it. Twitter allows you to taggert people by; Hashtags, location, who they follow, what they are looking at, and ect.

E) Legal and Ethical

Unlike other social networking and web activity, Twitter is relatively safe against the motion that you never know what you’re reading is true, the biggest argument against the information on the Internet. This is due to Twitter’s policy of verifying accounts for well-known celebrities and organisations. Yes anyone can make a fake account, but unless someone sees that blue check (meaning verified by Twitter) next to the account name, no one will believe a word they say! This in effect stops the idea that someone can just pose as someone else and flood Twitter with false information. As I said, they can, but they won’t be listened to or taken seriously until they are verified. The fact that Twitter even goes through the verification process actually goes as far as to make the information provided through big-name Twitter accounts that much more credible as a source. The Twitter policy site also goes on to explain that they cannot verify every account (such as your personal account), but explains ways that you can avoid being viewed as a fraud, such as linking other websites to this Twitter account. These policies and suggestions for users effectively end the issue of fraud on Twitter. (“About Verified Accounts”, 2012)