Social media has taken online traffic by storm, with over 58.4% (4.62 billion) of users using it to interact with one another. Several businesses also use social media to expand their outreach and interact with customers.
However, with dozens of social media websites, choosing the right platform for your business can get confusing. For starters, you must realize that you do not need to have an account on all available platforms.
In order to pick the right social media for your business, ask yourself the following questions:
Depending on your answers, you can select the most effective social platforms that comply with your requirements. The most crucial element that drives social media marketing is to remain active on all platforms used by your customers.
Several retail store owners have begun taking to social media; however, it is crucial to advertise to passersby and generate walk-in store revenue. You can use dynamic marketing tools such as flags to do so.
Social media guidelines comprise several key factors which vary from business to business; however, specific core values that companies must never overlook include:
Check out these prominent social media platforms along with their benefits and drawbacks.
Facebook has a whopping 2.3 billion active users globally and is a behemoth in the world of social media. This platform has users of all genders, age groups, and educational backgrounds, making it ideal for businesses to target audiences effectively.
Ups
Downs
Instagram is a visually emphasized social media platform where users and businesses use photos and videos as status updates. This platform also uses hashtags, making it ideal for obtaining followers who browse for specific products or services.
Several companies use the Stories feature on Instagram for brand or product promotions. Instagram mostly features a female-dominant crowd of 18-29-year-olds.
Ups
Downs
Twitter has a simplistic UI and houses an engaged user base that communicates with brands directly. It is ideal for B2C brands that have a strong brand voice. The most successful brands interact with their customers regularly on Twitter via mentions and retweets. About 40% of the userbase on Twitter is comprised of 18-29 year olds.
Ups
Downs
LinkedIn is specifically for professional networking. You can join LinkedIn groups for specific industries, interact with others in your field, and hire top talent. You can also publish industry-specific articles on LinkedIn and gain recognition from others in similar fields of interest.
About 33% of users on LinkedIn are 30-49 year olds, and 24% are 50-64 year olds.
Ups
Downs
You can also print your social media handles on offline advertising tools such as banners and decals to inform passersby of your online presence. Having a social media presence is crucial to stay in the competition and expand your customer base. However, you must be selective when choosing the right social media platforms for your business.
It is also crucial to devise social media engagement strategies apart from mere marketing and advertising. Since most small businesses have limited time and resources, it is paramount that you narrow down your preferences on social platforms and the type of content you wish to advertise.