Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn: the options are almost limitless. So which social media platform is right for your business or brand’s niche?
Social media marketing should not be taken on with a “one size fits all” approach. While there are now 75+ social media platforms available worldwide, a global snapshot of the biggest channels would include:
- YouTube
- SnapChat
- TikTok
- Tumblr
Let’s not forget other players emerging into the international circuit. Weibo, WeChat and QQ are platforms that have gained popularity with citizens living abroad, so it’s important to know exactly who your market is.
Social Media For Business: Tips And Tricks To Succeed
We know that it’s easy to get overwhelmed and give up on the entire thing, but start with picking two social media platforms to focus your time, energy and resources on. Giving 10% across the board will get you nowhere, but putting 100% of your efforts into one ot two channels – and really nailing it – can be a game changer when it comes to cementing your brand authority.
An easy way to hash out which platform is right for your brand or business is to ask yourself a few key questions.
What’s The Nature Of Your Business? Are you B2B or B2C? What industry or sector are you in? Are you selling a product, or a service? In order to avoid the wrong social media platforms that don’t match your brand, knowing exactly what niche you fit into is important.
What Are You Hoping To Achieve? Are you on the hunt for new clients, or would you instead like to re-engage old ones that have dropped off the map? Sometimes it can also be as simple as just getting your brand out there.
Who Is My Audience? Knowing exactly who your “fan base” is and where they spend their time on the internet is key. A younger demographic may be more active on certain social media channels than others. In comparison, others are recognised as more exclusive to “professionals” or workplace based.
What Does My Competition Use? Knowing exactly who (and what) you’re up against can be used as a significant advantage. What platforms are your industry competitors using, what are they doing, and how are they doing it? Knowledge is power!
Is My Website Compatible? The time and effort put into a social social media strategy are effectively null and void if your website isn’t up to scratch. Clear sales funnels with an end goal in mind, solid branding across the board, and follow ups via email marketing all help to see your customers right through to the finish line.
What Social Media Platform Should My Business Use
Once you’ve identified the key queries above and developed some brand self-awareness, it makes the task of sourcing the appropriate social media platform for your business a great deal easier. Generally speaking, key factors to consider with the most popular platforms include:
Facebook – This is almost essential for all businesses, but how you choose to use it is up to you. It’s a go-to for B2C marketing, and occasionally B2B. Organic reach can be difficult, but it’s great for customer interaction and has powerful (and free) analytical tools.
Instagram – The ‘Gram is all about the visuals. Using images, videos and “stories”, it’s a great way to show your goods or services without as much telling. It’s a popular option if you have a younger audience, but the metrics can be misleading (followers don’t mean engagement).
Twitter – This is one of the channels that everyone tends to forget about. Although popular with news commentators and journalists, it’s a great way to jump on “trending” topics to push your own brand’s relevance – and thus, relatively easy to engage both audiences and influencers.
Pinterest – The concept of “pinning” is where users go to source inspo, especially women. Although not suitable for all industries, it’s image driven content can be a hit for home decor, food-based services, travel and photography industries – and great for finding new clients.
LinkedIn – The land of the professional, this is a workplace focused platform that is very popular with B2B operators. If your goal is lead generation, LinkedIn can help to establish you as a leader in your field and engagement through conversations with your peers.
TikTok – If you’re able to make fun, creative and quirky content (and it’s appropriate) for your business – especially if your demographic is younger – then the potential reach of newcomer TikTok shouldn’t be ignored. If you want to “go viral” in 2020, this is your winner.
Important Aspects Of Social Media For Business
No matter which social media platform you opt to target – without great content, it won’t count for much. However, this can easily become a budget blow out, too time consuming or simply too hard.
Thankfully, producing great content for brands and businesses is exactly what we do best at Content Hive. With a range of content packages available to suit every operator, book in your free discovery call today to discuss how we can get your brand buzzing online.
