What Social Media Platforms Should You Be Marketing On?
What social media platforms should you focus on in your marketing campaign?
Social media has taken the world by storm, but it’s not just for posting cat videos and sharing memes anymore. These days, businesses are harnessing the incredible power of social media for marketing campaigns and everyday interaction with their customer base. There are many social media platforms out there, so we’re going to take a look at which ones you may want to consider for your business.
The Best Social Media Platforms for Marketing
Using social media for marketing campaigns and customer interaction gives you a ton of flexibility.
Here’s a quick rundown of the platforms you should consider:
With nearly three billion users being active on Facebook, this is the preeminent digital marketing tool for many businesses. Whether or not you have a website, you simply must have a Facebook page. In addition to interacting with potential and existing customers by sharing blog posts and comments, the site is equipped with advanced advertising tools and in-depth analytics.
Twitter can be somewhat of a mixed bag, but it’s great for businesses that can stay on task and not deviate from their core prospect. In other words, you can reach a lot of people with very short, quick-to-the-point posts, but it’s important not to get mixed up with controversy. Many businesses have proven Twitter to be effective by using it in conjunction with other social media sites.
If your business is looking for a visual social media platform, then Instagram is a no-brainer. This extremely popular digital space has more than one billion active users and will allow you to post images and videos either on their own or by making them into one of your Instagram stories. Users can also interact with you and the images that you post, which can strengthen your brand even further.
YouTube
Businesses that either have a visual component or can benefit from visual content should definitely consider creating a YouTube channel. Some businesses have even found marketing success by making reaction videos and podcasts that are either directly or indirectly related to their industry. Just keep in mind that today’s users expect professionalism, so you’ll probably need an experienced editor to work on each video.
TikTok
TikTok may be the purveyor of short videos that get millions of views, but it’s not for everyone. The users of this social media platform skew younger (Generation Z), which makes it more difficult for a business to hit the right tone. If you decide to give it a try, make sure that you understand the audience and have a brand that will specifically work for the format.
Like others on this list, whether or not Pinterest is right for your business will depend on the company itself. With the ability to separate images into categories, niche businesses have typically found the most success on this particular platform. Some of the most effective uses have involved companies that revolve around photography, food, fashion, beauty, exercise, and do-it-yourself projects.
Snapchat
This mobile-only social media network has evolved quite a bit in recent years. It’s still known as the platform where posts disappear after 24 hours. Although this might not seem like a workable marketing solution for every company, the advantage is that there’s less pressure to create polished content. This allows you to take a much more casual approach to creating and posting videos.
If part of your strategy is to network with other professionals and businesses, then signing up for LinkedIn is something that you should have done yesterday. When utilized properly, you can cultivate the very best employees while also connecting with potential business partners and associates. This platform also always you to create what is basically an online resume for your business.
How to Use Social Media for Marketing
No matter which social media platforms for businesses you choose to use for your specific company, there are some basic guidelines you should follow.
Here are some quick tips to get you started:
Know Your Audience
The first step is to identify your company’s target audience. This will often involve creating buyer personas which include several different factors such as age, gender, income, hobbies, social status, internet activity, etc. Once you’ve identified this target market, you can figure out which social media platforms would work best.
Come Up with a Plan
Jumping out into the world of social media platforms is perfectly fine if you’re an individual, but businesses with an expected goal should slow their roll a bit. You need to step back and figure out an overall strategy. Decide what type of content you plan to produce and how often you’d like to post on any given social media platform.
Make Regular Posts
The best way to build and maintain brand awareness is to create consistency with your customer base. This means that the aforementioned marketing strategy needs to include a posting schedule. By creating this ongoing rapport with your audience, they’re more likely to stick around and remain loyal.
Have Fun with Posts
Instead of always keeping your “business hat” on, try to have some fun with the posts. Some of the brands that are most successful with social marketing are those that post funny memes and whatnot. If you’re always trying to sell, this will be a turnoff for many potential and existing customers.
Avoid Controversy
This cannot be stated enough. In today’s age of accountability, what you might see as a reasonable opinion on a given subject may end up being polarizing for many viewers. If you decide to step into the fray, please choose your words carefully and try to avoid alienating any of your audience as much as possible.
Contact P3 Agency to Use Social Media for Marketing
The P3 Agency excels in graphic design, social media marketing, SEO services, and web design in Clearwater. If you have any questions about using social media for marketing or would like a free marketing assessment for your business, give our marketing agency staff a call at (800) 515-9422 today.