In short, each platform has advantages and disadvantages, each platform is suited to different roles.
The blog is still the platform of choice for keeping a public online diary, laying out your home-grown philosophy or making money online.
Twitter is best for fast moving trending, getting the latest gossip, throwing out publicity snippets and generally making yourself look busy
Facebook is truly social media allowing interaction and picture and video-sharing, keeping you in touch with friends whether they be distant or local. Additionally it works well as a tool for creating groups to share information such as for clubs, as well as a form of promoting a business.
Google Plus plans to give FB a run for it's money, but they have a long hill to climb if they plan to replace FB simply because of the high take-up.
All these platforms can (and arguably should) be used for marketing, but how they are used will depend on the type of business you are running. I think it's still true to say A blog is probably the easiest platform to get into, and although Twitter is simple, it is harder to work out how it can be used effectively as a marketing tool. Facebook on the other hand probably provides the best set of tools for marketing and will work especially well if you can get your clients and prospective clients to 'like' your page. This is best achieved either by promoting your Facebook page on your literature, or gathering email addresses so that you can invite people to visit your FB page. There are even professional companies who will create an attractive page for you - but even if you do your own thing, make sure there is something to see for when your clients come calling.
FB also makes a good platform for promoting special offers, promoting a special line of offers exclusively on your Facebook page can build a loyal following.
You may be able to tell that my preference is for Facebook, but it goes without saying that whatever other media you are using, a traditional website with suitable SEO techniques is still a must. Linking up with the right social media platform should be the very next step after you have established your website. Incorporating a Twitter or FB widget into your site can give you seamless and effective dynamic content, and it is this linking of the different platforms that is both the beauty and headache of social media for marketing purposes.
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