How to Choose a Social Media Platform
Social media marketing is no longer the new kid on the block! With it's highly creative images or videos, power to uniquely access and compel customer, means you take your business straight to your desired audiences pocket. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Incorporating or improving your social media strategy (as part of a wider strategy) is key to achieving traction with new or existing customers. Not sure what social media platform to choose? Or whether you've selected the right platform to reach your desired customers? We've broken down each platform, so read on for some tips around which platform might be best fit for you and your business!
What to think about when choosing a social media platform
When you’re in the process of selecting your optimum social media platform to benefit your business it’s key to take into consideration aspects such as:
Ease of use, accessibility and functionality, will the learning curve slow you down or be worth some time up front?
What types of content can you publish on this platform and will you be able to easily create or post them?
What your intentions are for the platform.
e.g. Do you want to attract new customers for your business or do you want to entertain and solidify loyalty with your existing customers?
Taking into consideration the above questions will make it easier to determine what platform to select.
With over 2 billion monthly users, a Facebook Business Page offers high visibility and with its high number of users is an ideal platform to build long-term relationships and give easy access to your products and services. Acting as an online business profile, a Facebook Business Page improves your online reputation, makes it easier to be found and helps strengthen the SEO of your business website.
Content Format
Here you can showcase and share images, blogs, articles, videos, live broadcasts, competitions or a run a store to reach your followers in app.
How to use a Facebook Business Profile for your business.
As an online business profile, where you can gather reviews from your customers.
To share posts, images, or videos about your business, educational content, promotions or services.
Interact and engage with your followers, keep an eye on comments or your inbox to ensure you're providing a positive and proactive customer service.
Run digital ads or boost posts to reach a larger audience and use targeting to find your ideal audience - organic content is estimated to reach as few as 2% of Facebook users.
Thanks to its highly visual nature, Instagram boasts high engagement rates making it a creative space for any brand to market itself. Instagram can be a great tool for your business if you're able to maintain a flow of visually appealing content. As well as further establishing your online presence, it's a great way to direct potential or existing customers to your website. The app is most popular with audiences between the age of 18-35, but over the next coming years this is expected to evolve.
Content Format
With short form video content becoming more and more the norm, Instagram is now known for it's reels as well as for sharing photos through stories and in feed.
How to use Instagram for your business
Showcase services or products or promotions through stories, in feed images or reels.
Connect with like-minded brands or businesses.
Direct people to website, blogs or appointment scheduler through story links.
Attract or reengage customers with piece to cam content where you speak directly to your audience or engaging visual content.
Boost posts or run story, in feed or video ads to extend the reach of your business.
RELATED: Let's Get Reel
LinkedIn is the go to when it comes to your professional profile - whether you're a sole trader, contractor, founder, director or employee. Envisioned as a professional platform for networking, LinkedIn is amazing tool for connecting with clients and potential employees. It's where many professionals can promote their unique skills or acquire work.
Content Format
Both text and visual content have a home on LinkedIn, with the emphasis being on thought provoking posts. If you have something to say about the industry, your interests, tips or advice on building a business, LinkedIn is the platform to speak on.
How to use LinkedIn for your business
To house your professional profile or business profile.
Connect with like-minded business owners and build a community around you to learn, share and grow with.
Give future employees a taste of your business and what you're about, many employees will take a look at there futures employers online to gain a better understanding of the organisation, curate your profile with this in mind.
Run B2B digital ads, as the online home for many organisations, LinkedIn is great platform to run digital ads where you might be targeting key decision makers or specific arms of an organisation.
Already chosen a social media platform?
Congratulations! You’ve selected the social media platform you feel will best fit your business’ marketing communication needs. So what's next? Be sure to:
Ensure you have a calendar of content scheduled and ready to roll out to your audience.
Regularly monitor your inbox to make sure you're not missing in customers (or future customers).
Interact with followers engaging with your posts, these conversations can often turn into a lead or generate positive word of mouth about your business.
Remember to stay professional!
Ready to start posting? Download our Social Posting Checklist here!