When it comes to staying connected with people, there are lots of ways to do it. You could go the old-fashioned route and send them a snail mail letter, but…really? Snail mail? Nah…it may be a tad bit slow to stay up-to-date with all that you’ve got going on.

Forget the letter-writing! Why not use one of the many social media and social networking platforms out there to let your besties know what you’re up to? They are easy to use and you can put the apps for each one right on your phone – making them extremely convenient. And if you’re interested in some of the most popular ones, here are a few to check out.

• Facebook: Facebook is still the biggest social media site around. And the great thing about Facebook is that it seems to do everything that people could want. You can post images, text, videos, live videos, and create stories. You can use Facebook Marketplace to sell your stuff and even have a private text conversation with your friends. It’s practically a one-stop-shop for sharing what’s happening in your life.
• Instagram: Do you love taking a great photo? Or maybe sharing videos? How about going live? Then Instagram might be your chosen social media platform. You’ll love being able to share visually cool content with only your friends (if you choose to lock down your privacy settings) or with the public. 
• Twitter: Twitter is perfect if you like to keep current with sports, news, entertainment, politics, and more. Twitter truly places a focus on real-time information. Additionally, Twitter has become the go-to platform for sharing your opinion and for reaching out to customer service for many companies. 
• Snapchat: Snapchat is a social media app that allows its users to share photos and videos with friends. The interesting piece to Snapchat is that content such as pictures and videos are only available for a short time, and then they disappear. While it originally started as a way to share photos and videos privately with friends, you can now share content publicly with followers.
• LinkedIn: When LinkedIn began, it may have been just a site to post a resume and search for a job, but that’s not the case anymore. Here you can find experts in all sorts of industries sharing their knowledge and expertise, you can network with people, and you work to establish your business and career.
• Pinterest: Pinterest started as a digital bulletin board, where you could “pin” your favorite things that inspired you – such as recipes, home decor, and more. While this is still the primary focus; you can now follow people and see the content they share and pin it to your own boards.
• Reddit: Reddit is a giant collection of forums, where participants can share news and content, or comment on what others have shared. There are over 1 million different communities, or subreddits, which means there are topics covering just about everything you can think of. It’s a great place to connect with people who have similar interests as you.
• YouTube: Do you like making videos, perhaps about a certain topic that you are passionate about or whatever else tickles your fancy? Then YouTube is the platform for you! Here you can create your own “channel” and let viewers have access to your content 24/7.

There are tons of additional social media and social networking sites out there, but these are a few of the most popular. Which ones do you use? And why?