Which social media platforms should my business be on?
By Cindy Schrauben
Great Gus Marketing
There’s no question that businesses need to have a social media presence. But exactly which platforms your business should be on is another question altogether. Like any business decision, you should put your efforts where you’ll have the most impact. Here are some tips for making this decision:
First, claim your name on all social media platforms
Most likely, you aren’t going to be on every social media platform, especially right away. Choosing one or two platforms and doing them well before branching out is a good idea. However, you should claim your business name on each site. Eventually, you may want to expand into other platforms, and it would be frustrating to discover that someone else has laid claim to your business’ name on the new platform.
Next, determine your goals
You need to outline what you are trying to accomplish on social media and who your audience is – consumers or other businesses – because the answers will play into which platforms you choose. Would you like to drive followers to your website? Make sales? Boost name recognition with your target market? Once you know your goals, you need to write a social media strategy (read our previous blog about this).
Then, consider where your audience is
It may seem obvious, but you should be on the social media platforms that your target audience visits most frequently. If you need to reach other businesses, think first about LinkedIn and Facebook. If your products/services are visual, concentrate on Instagram and Facebook. Companies that can produce video content frequently should look to YouTube and Facebook first. See below for details about some of the most popular social media platforms.
Finally, do it well
Whichever social media platforms you decide to undertake, have a plan for what you will post and when (the aforementioned social media strategy). You should also understand that people don’t go to social media to be sold something. So, follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should inform, educate, and entertain your followers, with just 20% promoting your business. And, finally, don't be shy about reaching out for assistance with your business social media. Great Gus Marketing would love to help! Just email cindy@greatgus.com.
Platforms to consider for business use
Facebook: Facebook is the most commonly used social media platform with about 2.5 billion monthly users. Facebook is an excellent fit for many businesses, and most start their social media investment with the platform. Slightly more women use Facebook than men, but it is a good platform to reach either gender. Adults of all ages use Facebook though the demographic is starting to skew older.
YouTube: YouTube is the second most used social media platform, with about two billion monthly users as videos draw in more and more social media users. Men and women use the platform in roughly equal numbers. YouTube is used by people of all ages with the highest percentage of younger users though about 60% of people older than 55 use it.
Instagram: If you have good photos and videos and want to reach a younger audience, Instagram is an excellent place for your business to be. Instagram’s one billion monthly users tend to skew a bit younger, with usage dropping quite low by about age 60. Women and men use the platform in about equal numbers.
Twitter: One of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter has more than 330 million active monthly users. The platform is a good place to interact with your customers and create business networks. Men and women use the platform in equal numbers, and the age range of users is younger.
LinkedIn: A business networking platform, LinkedIn is best for business-to-business social media marketing. LinkedIn has 260 million active monthly users and is unusual in that male users outnumber females. LinkedIn is a great place to network with and promote your business to working-age professionals.
Pinterest: A visual search engine, Pinterest has about 300 million monthly users. Far more women than men use Pinterest, with about 70% of its users being female. If you have good visual content, Pinterest is an excellent place to reach women of all ages.
If you’re ready to use social media to drive business success, Great Gus Marketing is ready to assist. Please contact us at cindy@greatgus.com or call 269-215-1505.
Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Great Gus Marketing specializes in strategic marketing, social media management, and copywriting.
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