Business owners spend a lot of time identifying their customer base and how to market to them. While many know they need a social media presence, it can be difficult to identify which platform is best for their business. Complicating matters, there is no one-size fits all approach to social media. Businesses need to make sure they use the platform(s) that will give them the greatest reach and exposure to their potential customers.
Check out the following to see which social media platforms will work best for your business:
Facebook. It’s important to identify your target demographic before investing time and money into a Facebook social media presence. A huge percentage of users range between the ages of 25-54 while only 9% account for those 24 and under. If your target audience is under 24 years old, it’s best to focus efforts on different social platforms that younger generations are using. However, if your target demographic falls between the 25-54 age range, investing manpower to publish events, professional videos, and engaging content regularly can pay off in a big way. This demographic checks Facebook several times a day, meaning more opportunity for exposure.
Twitter. This platform is great for identifying what’s on trend and to keep up with the latest news. Business models including news, retail, e-commerce, health and fitness, tourism and hospitality, finance, and fashion can all do well with Twitter. While the demographic is largely 18-29-year-olds, a decent amount (27%) are 30-49 with a little over a fifth of users being 50-64. Twitter is a great platform to highlight your company’s subject matter expertise, discuss products, and show your creative flair.
LinkedIn. It’s easy to overlook LinkedIn as a true social media platform, but its B2B potential is undeniable. It’s also an excellent avenue for targeting new employees. It’s a networking powerhouse in the business world and can open up new paths for your company to explore when done right. Focus on professional events you’ve attended, awards you’ve received, etc. The platform functions like an interactive resume and it’s best to tailor your business messages to fit that mold.
Instagram. Instagram has half a million users, but its algorithm makes it a challenge to reach customers. In addition, companies can’t post clickable links so funneling customers from the platform to your website can be a challenge. However, the platform can help you build your brand by posting beautiful images and videos. It works best for companies that revolve around food, clothes, and other easily photographed products. Instagram tends to skew young so it’s best suited for companies that target younger generations. While it’s less professional, it offers a more realistic portrayal of a company. The content and interactions on this platform are very casual.
Pinterest. This platform has a few similarities to instagram—primarily that the images a company posts need to be beautiful to attract customers. Pinterest is a great platform for businesses targeting women between the ages of 18-49 as they comprise the majority of Pinterest users. Posting how-to blogs, tips and tricks, recipes, etc. work best on this platform so long as an appealing image or graphic accompanies it. Customers can buy straight from Pinterest or funnel with the click of a button so conversions on this platform are much easier than Instagram.
Knowing all the above, it can still be a challenge to decide which platforms are best for your business. Picking all of them won’t yield a good return on investment and can spread your marketing team and budget too thin. For example, if you focus on all available social platforms, you might miss meaningful customer interaction that could drive further engagement and sales.
Businesses need to take care when cultivating their online presence so that it reflects their values and message. Failing to do so can hurt your brand. It can also create confusion for customers as they won’t be sure which platform is best to reach your business.
For optimum results, businesses should pick 2-3 platforms that align best with their target audience. From there, you can dedicate your time and energy to showing your followers that you are genuine and available should they need to reach you. Many brands only have 2-3, which makes them look more professional and allows followers to come to them on their terms.
Whether running a brick and mortar store or establishing your online presence, Gerber Business Solutions can help you with the strategy and tools you need. We can even put them in place for your team and train you on how to use them! Click here for a FREE Strategy Session!
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