Staying on top of social media can be a difficult task; it seems like every day there is a new social platform just waiting for you to sign up. And of course, social media apps love to create a culture of exclusivity by offering “invitation-only” events and other beta testing options before they launch. But it’s actually pretty simple to pick out which social media platforms will be right for you or your business: for example, are you interested in promoting a visual image? Do you want to engage with customers, clients, readers, friends via written messages? Here are three social media platforms you need to be aware of – and how they might be able to help you.

Instagram

At this point, Instagram has been around for a while, but many people and brands are not harnessing it in the ways that they could and should – which still makes it an up-and-coming platform. For those who are unfamiliar, Instagram is a photo-taking and sharing app that is available via web and smartphone. You can add vintage filters, geo-tag photos, and share updates with your photos. It’s essentially Facebook without the clutter – hence it’s success among younger generations who are leaving Facebook in droves.

Vine

Vine is an interesting new video app where you can produce short, 6-second videos to post to your Vine and Twitter feeds. These “Vines” are snapshots into events, art shows, or even ways to showcase your products in a live-action way. Vine provides a very real sense of interaction since it’s video, which goes beyond the photograph to actually capture movement and sound. Many brands are already on Vine, creating funny office videos to engage with clients, showcasing new summer clothing lines, and more. Check out this article for some company-made Vines. Think of ways you might be able to harness these quick video snapshots for yourself or your business.

Medium

Medium is a brand-new social media platform that is perfect for those looking to share stories and spread ideas. It was created by the same people who started Blogger, one of the most popular blogging platforms on the web. Medium is a collaborative tool and also helps you to find your audience – it’s great if you don’t have your own blog to regularly publish, but is still a powerful way to get your ideas and stories out there. It’s currently in beta mode, but you can sign up here for more information and to be placed on a waiting list.

Of course, these are just three of the many new social media platforms out there today. It’s a great idea to follow tech and media bloggers on tried-and-true social media apps like Twitter for new announcements and reviews regarding the latest in social. It’s also wise to remain true to the apps that you still use often and have worked for you. If you have a great Facebook following, don’t abandon that just because a new app has launched. You can utilize many different social media platforms to reach all kinds of audiences in myriad ways.