Explain the classification of social media platforms according to Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) and how each type of social media platforms relates to the emergence of social media storms?

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The Answer is Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) proposed one of the most cited classifications of social media platforms, by using theories of media research (i.e., social presence theory and media richness theory) and social processes (i.e., concepts of self-presentation and self-disclosure), as a classification criterion. They identify six major types of social media platforms. Collaborative projects are built around collective content creation (e.g., Wikipedia) or bookmarking (e.g., Pinterest), where attention is on the content, and not on its creator or bookmarker. These platforms are important sources of information and inspiration for consumers, which can be important in the context of social media storms. Content communities are also built around content creation, which is mostly done by individual creators who want their content to be shared. Due to their prominent sharing capabilities, they are often used for viral marketing (e.g., viral YouTube videos), which also makes them a place where many social media storms start. Blogs and microblogging sites, are important means for gaining thought leadership in social media due to high visibility of content creators and participators. These platforms also proved to be important entities in social media storms, since they are often used to express dissatisfaction and disappointment with corporate practices. Social networking sites enable users to create their profiles and interact with other users (peer-to-peer) and companies/brands, create and publish content, and engage with content (both UGC and FGC) via comments, likes/dislikes, and shares. High media richness and to some extend immediate communication (e.g., via live streams on Instagram and Facebook), combined with the possibility for users to engage with the content in many ways, makes social networking sites an ideal context for social media storms. Virtual social worlds and virtual game worlds share a very few features with other types of social media, and they are considered more as platforms for gaming than media for social interactions. They are not a suitable context for social media storms.

Explain the Classification of Social Media Platforms According to Kaplan