Social media marketing is necessary for staying relevant and standing out against competitors. With so many different social media platforms to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which ones your business needs. After all, you can’t be everywhere at once. How do you determine which social media platforms your business should be utilizing?
To start, ask yourself a few questions:
Who is your target audience? Are they men or women? How old are they? Where do they spend their time online? Breaking down your desired customer is helpful in determining their online behaviors and marketing your business to them.
Where are your competitors? What social media platforms are they using? Is it working well for them? You don’t want them to dominate the conversation; it would be smart to have an online presence on the apps your competitor is finding success in.
What are your goals? Are you trying to build a relationship with your community? Do you want to increase brand recognition? Different social media platforms are better utilized for achieving different goals.
With that in mind, let’s break down the different platforms
Twitter works well for businesses that run live events or are involved in the political and news industries. As a text-based outlet, you can make specific hashtags for events and keep up with the conversation in real-time. If your goal is connecting with your audience, start here.
Pinterest favors businesses that have strong visual content. It is largely comprised of women – 78% of users are female. Boutiques thrive on Pinterest as you can make a clickable link that directs customers to your online store.
YouTube has users of all ages, from young children to fully-grown adults. You can gain a large following all from posting how-to videos and educational resources. Can your business teach someone how to do something, such as how to fix a leaky faucet? Consider starting a YouTube channel!
LinkedIn is beneficial for business-to-business networking. Are you a consulting firm looking to connect with future clients and other business professionals? LinkedIn was made for you.
Instagram was made for visual content. Restaurants with yummy food pictures thrive on the app (it’s why #foodie is a thing!). You can also highlight your products on Instagram Shop – a feature where people can shop your store directly on the app.
Tiktok is incredibly popular among younger audiences. Primarily 18 to 24-year-olds use the site to watch short-form video content. If you’re looking to target gen z and build brand awareness, this is the app to be on.
Facebook may be decreasing in popularity among the younger generation, but it is a great platform to use if you want to connect with your local community. If you’re willing to spend money on social media ads, you can run successful campaigns by targeting potential customers by age, interests, location and behaviors.
The right social media platform for your business all depends on your goals and desired audience. With the right message on the best platform, your business can grow and thrive online.
Interested in connecting with potential customers online and growing your business? Southern View Media is here to help! We offer high-quality social media marketing services that put your company online, so you don’t get left behind. Call us today at (251) 517-9425 to learn more!
