Social media can reap plenty of advantages for businesses, but the variety of platforms out there each serve different purposes. In order to see the most success from your social media marketing efforts, you’ll need to establish which social networks are a good fit for your company.
Finding the Right Platform for Your Company
There’s no set list of which social platforms businesses should be on as a network’s fit will depend on your company goals. Here are a few aspects to examine when deciding between the various social media sites:
Target Audience
Buyer Personas and Ideal Client Profiles should play a large role in which social networks you partake in. You’ll want to maintain a presence on the platforms your target audience is most active in. Research demographics such as gender and age and compare those of your Buyer Personas to each social platform’s audience.
Social Media Goals
It’s important to establish what you want to achieve via social media marketing efforts. Companies that want to boost brand awareness will benefit from a different platform than ones looking for lead generation.
Available Resources
Consider both your team’s abilities and what type of content you regularly produce. For example, if your employees are lacking in photography or graphic design skills, then you’ll probably want to avoid image-based platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.
Popular Social Media Networks
Figuring out which platforms your business should join begins with understanding the differences between them. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most commonly used social media networks:
Having a Facebook presence is a necessity for all businesses, regardless of your company’s social media marketing goals. This popular platform, which boasts the biggest audience of all social media networks, is commonly used by search engines and will improve your local SEO efforts. Facebook is a good place to showcase your company culture and provide a more human look at your business.
One big appeal of this platform is the highly specific targeting choices for Facebook Ads. The precise customization options allow you to reach as niche of an audience as you desire, greatly improving the relevance of your paid campaigns. Facebook can also be a helpful venue for customer service and engagement, thanks to automated chatbots on Facebook messenger. Ecommerce companies may benefit from the platform’s in-app purchasing options that minimize friction for potential buyers.
This platform thrives on things happening in the now, so it’s the perfect place for big announcements and conversations about trending industry news. Any type of business that is drastically affected by current events should maintain a Twitter presence, such as those in the sports industry, marketing, and news outlets. If your company is one of the first to tweet about a recent trend, you’ll become a go-to source for news on that topic.
Using hashtags can make gaining attention on Twitter easy so that people who are interested in a particular subject can find your content organically. Advertising options such as promoting your account or a singular tweet will even further your brand’s visibility.
The professional networking site is a perfect fit for B2B companies looking to make new connections and grow their brand. One of LinkedIn’s main allures is the strong ability to increase brand authority by consistently sharing helpful articles and thoughts surrounding topics related to your industry. LinkedIn groups provide another opportunity to heighten brand authority and awareness. Being active in these communities can aid in lead generation if you position yourself properly.
This image-focused social network lends well to product sales, with 89% of users reporting that they use Pinterest to help plan purchasing decisions. Pinterest’s Buyable pins let users shop without ever leaving the site, making this platform ideal for eCommerce companies. As the social media platform utilizes images in its feed, you’ll see more benefits from Pinterest if your company’s products or services translate well to brilliant photography or graphics.
It’s better to have a stellar online presence on just a few social networks than a shoddy one on all of them. One of the key elements to successful social media marketing is consistency, so make sure you have the ability to keep up with each of your social profiles. HeadsUp manages each and every social media need of our clients. Reach out today to get started creating the perfect online presence!