Social media marketing doesn’t just apply to “younger” businesses in today’s digital landscape—it’s necessary across the board. Its relevance is undeniable—88% of marketers claim that their social media marketing strategies are responsible for most of their exposure and visibility.
While social media involves a labyrinth of learning curves, mastering it for your business is not impossible. The first step is narrowing down your choice of platform, which you’ll learn all about in this guide.
Picking a social media platform for your business isn’t about hopping onto the most popular one. Instead, it involves the following steps.
Social media is a versatile marketing tool that can satisfy many needs. However, defining your specific goals can help narrow your choices. In addition, identifying your objectives won’t only dictate the platform you use but what type of content to upload.
Some business aspirations social media can help you achieve include:
If you don’t yet have buyer personas as part of your social media marketing strategy, now is the best time to craft them. You can direct your marketing decisions according to demographics like:
Among the best ways to obtain information about your potential audience are to:
Some types of content perform better on other platforms. For instance, while long-form content may perform well on sites like LinkedIn, it may not fare well on platforms like Instagram. As such, the type of content you create will depend on the nature of the platform and where your audience spends the most time.
Some common forms of content you’ll see on social media include:
After defining your business goals and getting to know your target audience, the next logical step is to decide which social media platform to use.
Instagram is a fast-growing platform that caters primarily to younger, visually-driven audiences. Of its 1.2 billion users, at least 500 million are regularly active and view Instagram Stories daily.
Instagram has also become a popular selling platform, thanks to Instagram Shops, which enable businesses to make a sale without redirecting audiences to another website.
Its visual nature makes Instagram ideal for art, fashion, beauty, home improvement, and retail. In addition, merged messaging with Facebook allows Instagram businesses to interact with a denser audience.
Pros
Cons
Facebook is currently the most densely populated social media platform on the internet. With nearly 3 billion users, Facebook is a perfect space for generating leads.
Most marketers use Facebook to hone lasting relationships with consumers. Its hyper-targeted ad tools are superior to most and allow for exponential growth.
Facebook is also a helpful tool for businesses that use video—in 2020 alone; Facebook Live grew in popularity by 26%.
More often than not, social media users will relate the concept of a hashtag to platforms like Twitter. This powerful symbol allows users to engage in trending conversations and marketers to follow suit.
Overall, Twitter is best for providing followers with real-time updates and customer service solutions. Businesses can also monetize it through product promotion and increasing website traffic.
Known for its short-form video format, Tiktok is perfect for visual-based businesses. It has an impressive international appeal and almost half a million daily users.
Brands can utilize this new marketing channel by trend-jacking, working with influencers, participating in hashtag challenges, or tapping into paid advertisements.
If you’re tapping into older audiences, LinkedIn is the place to be. Its user base spans the 30 to 49 age range and provides a unique, narrow focus.
Overall, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for B2B marketing, employee recruitment, and general marketing opportunities.
With at least 2.3 billion active daily users, YouTube is the biggest video-centric social media platform on the internet. While it may take time and effort to record, edit, and upload videos, YouTube offers a unique opportunity for service-based businesses.
There is no simple answer when it comes to selecting the best social media platform for your business. Instead, what best suits your business will depend on your specific goals, unique target audience, and the type of content you want to produce.
If your social media marketing strategy could use a makeover, our professionals at Igloo can help get you started. Our award-winning strategies are unlike any other—leave it up to us to craft your key messages, engage your target audiences, and propel your business into success.
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