In this day and age, when most of our days begin with fiddling with our phones and logging onto social networking websites to check on latest updates about friends and the world around, social media is our source of news and entertainment.
These websites are a great way to connect with people from all over the world, stay in touch, share pictures, videos and other media and have a virtual connection with likeminded people.
However, these social networking sites are not just a means to keep in touch with friends, but a marketing tool brands are using to reach their target audience.
People are finding new and innovative ways to create an impact through these social networking sites and several business are also now thriving on these websites.
So while on one end, social networking sites have increased the urge and obligation to share one’s life out there and make it an open book for others to read, on the other end they have become influential platforms getting people everything from jobs to business to making one a star overnight.
In fact, every social networking site has a different purpose and fulfills a different need. Here are the top 11 social networking sites that are most popular in India.
Table of Contents
1. Facebook
Connecting people across the world with 2.23 billion monthly active users, it is an easy to go platform for chatting, sharing media, creating groups and making new friends.
One can express views and feelings through posting different status messages, and even let the whole world know about your current travel location and activity.
In the current scenario, Facebook is largely used for creating pages to promote businesses, companies, products, movies, shows and celebrities. It has proved to be the best site for any person who wants to socialize and globalize.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
2. WhatsApp
One app that is found in almost every mobile phone is none other than Whatsapp.
Owned by Facebook, it has become a part of our daily vocab and like a ritual, people constantly text for anything they want to ask or convey with it.
Along with chatting, this social app also comes with features like group chats, video calling, sharing stories and the most attractive being the Whatsapp calling which is free and a convenient option to communicate. Currently, WhatsApp has 1.5 billion monthly active users.
Whatsapp also allows one to post Whatsapp stories and update photographs and status messages that can be viewed by everyone in your phonebook.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
3. Instagram
The most trending social media app these days, Instagram with more than 1 billion active users is also now taken over by Facebook.
Not only masses, but even celebrities are obsessed with this social network and thus allow their fans to have a peep into their lives virtually.
It was mainly a picture and video sharing site that expanded its services by including chat options and story sharing. The amazing filters are always at work to transform your pictures into stunning captures.
Instagram has gradually become an influencing platform where followers are fed with reviews of products and a lifestyle they yearn to have, with the intention of supporting brands that are willing to shell out big bucks to get this reach.
Its Insta Story feature has many hooked, constantly sharing what is happening in their life, live.
Recently, Instagram has reached 1 billion active users worldwide.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
4. YouTube
A quintessential social video platform, YouTube is the most preferred site to watch anything. It has shows, movies, standup flicks, interviews, talk shows and what not!
One can create a YouTube channel of their own and post videos while earning subscribers that enables recognition and monetary benefits gradually.
You can add comments to video content other people have shared, just as you can comment on a Facebook post or reply to a tweet.
YouTube now has over 1.8 billion users every month and with such a vast network, any video can turn viral in no time.
It is an advertising platform too that lets you target ads promoting the content you’ve created to users based on interests and other demographics just like any other networking site.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
5. Snapchat
Snapchat’s demographic is more popular among teens and the young generation. If you are with a group of people who are laughing at you for no reason, then probably you are on someone’s snapchat story!
Yes, this app has created a buzz ever since its launch by allowing people to chat over pictures.
You can send pictures and videos with uncountable hilarious filters to anyone added on your list or to everyone by putting it on your story.
Snapchat was the first social networking site that introduced the idea of limiting the time the picture one uploads is available for viewing.
You can add people already on your contact list or add them through their username. This photo and video sharing app has 188 million daily active users.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
6. Twitter
Titled as the ‘perfect place for a battle of words’, Twitter is an immensely popular social networking site that is usually in news for some great ongoing word battle conversation between celebrities or a celebrity and a common man.
To know what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about at present, one should definitely activate a twitter account.
The micro-blogging service has an average of 335 million monthly active users worldwide.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
7. LinkedIn
Looking for a job? Then LinkedIn is the apt place where you can find work according to your needs and preferences.
Just make a profile and get started. It is easy to handle and you can make new connections to enjoy greater opportunities for your career.
Both employer and job seekers come together and share their interests to create the largest professional network in the world.
Not just jobs, Linkedin is also a great place to network, and connect with people, share views, etc. Total number of Linkedin profiles has reached to 500 million in 2018.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
8. Quora
Quora is a storehouse of views and opinions on almost every topic or subject possible. It has a unique question and answer format and people from all walks of life can engage here by asking and responding to questions posted on the website.
The platform not only helps in increasing knowledge with a personalised feed of insightful answers but also helps one understand why the world works the way it does in a more attractive set up.
The site has over 100 million monthly active users worldwide.
So when in doubt, just log on to Quora and have all your queries answered.
Android users can download the app here
Ios users can download the app here
Visit this website for more information
And while you manage your social networking online, don’t forget that these are just virtual. Real friends and real conversations happen offline.
9. Pinterest
Sometimes we do run short of ideas and that frequently kills our great plans. But thanks to Pinterest coming into our lives, this is no longer an issue.
With visual ideas, users are able to discover exciting possibilities in every field that are shared by people around the globe. It is a hybrid of a visual search engine and social media platform that accounts 150 million monthly users.
People can share and bookmark to their accounts images, graphics, posts i.e. “pins” that interest and inspire them. It is these social elements that make pins go viral.
Your goal, as a blogger, influencer or business is to create the best pins for your content and get as many people as possible to pin them. As pins linked back to your content go viral, traffic to your platform will grow significantly.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
10. Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging and social networking website founded in 2007. Users can post multimedia content in a short blog format.
It is basically a blogger’s spot and the right place to create and share one’s original content about anything in the world.
Tumblr account handlers are also able to connect their blogs to their Twitter and Facebook accounts; so whenever they make a post, it will also be sent as a tweet and a status update.
As of 2018, Tumblr hosts over 417.1 million blogs and more than 161.3 billion posts in total making it a very popular service among the teen and college-goers.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website
11. WeChat
WeChat is a mobile text and voice messaging communication service developed by Tencent in China, released in 2011.
It has over 300 million active users making it a tough competitor for other networking sites in the digital market.
You can video chat, voice call, SMS, play games, do QR code scanning and much more.
The rich features of WeChat allow celebrities to instantly communicate with fans and more importantly, engage directly with their fans through messages, videos, and video chats.
People who like to express themselves can use the Moments feature that allows one to write mini blogs that are automatically updated to your circle of friends.
Also, finding your friends nearby has never been so simple. Through one’s geolocation and just shaking the phone you can know who is closer to your location.
Android users can download the app here
ios users can download the app here
You can also visit the website