Many businesses are aware of the need for a social media marketing, but have a hard time determining which social media platform is the best to market their business.
Here are some figures from May of 2019:
- Facebook: 2,375 billion users
- YouTube: 1.9 billion users
- Instagram: 1 billion users
- LinkedIn: 610 million users
- Twitter: 330 million users
- Pinterest: 265 million users
Source: https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/amazing-social-media-statistics-and-facts/
There are no hard rules about which social media platform is best for marketing your business. Every day, there is a story about how some innovative person uses a platform in a way no one previously thought of. Having said that, there are social media websites that tend to appeal to different audiences. In order to decide, determine what your audience is and what your goals are.
All social media strategies should include Facebook. Facebook has the most users and that alone makes it the boss of social media. It is also used a local SEO signal. That means search engines look at your Facebook page to determine if you are a real, engaged business. Your business should, not only have a Facebook page, but post on it frequently.
Are you B2C- Business to Consumer, B2B- Business to Business, or both?
The primary platforms for B2B are Facebook and LinkedIn.
B2C sees more success on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Who is your target audience?
- Facebook: 25 – 55+, both men and women
- Youtube: 18 – 29, both men and women
- Instagram: 18 – 35, mostly women
- LinkedIn: 25 – 45, both men and women
- Twitter: 18 – 29, both men and women
- Pinterest: 18 – 45, mostly women
Source: https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/which-social-media-platforms-best-for-business
Beyond age and gender, you should consider the kind of social media your target audience will frequent. What are your target audiences’ interest?
Are they interested in news? World, national or local? Twitter is a favorite for national and world news, while Facebook is common for local news.
Is your target audience interested in crafts and recipes? Pinterest is a favorite for this type of shared content.
What is your industry?
- Facebook: Fashion, Auto, E-commerce, Retail, Entertainment, Real Estate, Marketing, Sports, Health and Wellness, News and Information
- Instagram: Travel and Hospitality, Fashion, Health and Wellness, Arts and Crafts, Food and Beverage, E-commerce, Beauty, Photography, Auto, Event Planning
- LinkedIn: Financial, Employment, Science and Technology, Legal, Manufacturing, Marketing, Education, Professional Services, Health and Wellness, IT
- Twitter: News and Information, Retail, E-commerce, Health and Wellness, Travel and Hospitality, Telecom, Finance, Fashion, Retail, Sports
- Pinterest: Retail, Health and Wellness, Travel and Hospitality, Fashion, E-commerce, Arts and Crafts, Food and Beverage, Beauty, Home and Garden, Event Planning
What kind of content are you sharing?
Do you have an informative blog or vlog? If the blog is more business oriented, try LinkedIn. If it is generally thought-provoking, many find success micro-blogging on Twitter.
Do you have a highly visual content? Instagram and Pinterest are popular places for beautiful photography and highly visual elements. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook, there are good options for your Facebook page to be linked to your Instagram.
Do you have video content? Youtube is the platform to create a following for video. It also has great options for embedding on your website and other social media websites.
What kind of content does your organization have the potential to create? Does someone at your company like to write? Is there a good opportunity for making videos?
What is your overall goal?
Do you want to engage with potential customers? Then you need to discover where your potential customers frequent. Discover what social sites are used by people in your industry. You can discover a good deal with competitive analysis. Figure out who is having success in your industry and research their techniques.
Do you want brand awareness? This strategy involves simply putting your brand in front of the customers eyes. You should have pages on different appropriate platforms and post on them frequently.
If you’re managing your social media marketing yourself, the great thing is that you can spend very little money and a reasonable amount of time to discover which social platforms work for your business. Do a little trial and error. Don’t get overly focused on one platform and neglect the others, until you have some success in one area. Then shift your focus to that area.
Determine what works for your organization
Content is the key to any social media marketing strategy. That means you should determine what you will be sharing on social media, BEFORE you publish your page. Then you must continue to engage and publish content to that page. NEVER create a page and then leave it alone. Form plan for how that page will be updated on a weekly basis.
Most content on social media is shared. One of your staff members should be tasked with viewing content online and finding things that can be shared on your pages. If you have an outside agency doing this task for you, view the shared content BEFORE it is published. Direct the agency to online content you prefer. What blogs are common in your industry? What inspirational content will speak to your audience? Shared content should reflect the tone and values of your business.
Are you overwhelmed at the up-keep of social media marketing?
Think about outsourcing this task. Company leaders should focus on what they do best and leave the marketing to an agency or staff member who excels in this area. If you do not have a staff member, find an agency who specializes in online marketing and discover strategies and techniques you never-before considered.
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