One of the most common questions we receive from our clients is: "Which social media site should I use to market/promote my business?" and for good reason. Online marketing and communication through social media are a must for attracting new customers, getting customer feedback, and building your brand. The problem for many businesses, however, is they are not sure which social media sites are most appropriate for their needs. In this blog post, I'm going to pose two questions that you need to ask yourself that will help you identify which social media sites you should be using, and finally, I'll give a couple of tips on how to optimize the sites you choose.
Before getting into the two questions you need to ask yourself to help clarify which social media sites your business should be using, I know some of you might be wondering: "Shouldn't I use every social media site to promote my business?" and the answer to this is "Yes"...and "No." Having as many social media sites up and running for your business would certainly be ideal, as you really can't have enough of an online presence, however, in reality, it isn't the wisest things your business could do. Firstly, regularly updating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, etc. accounts with fresh and engaging content would take an enormous amount of time and effort, and unless you have a dedicated employee to social media marketing, this might not be possible. Secondly, not every social media is appropriate for your business, and time spent on developing content for some social media sites may be time wasted. Which brings us to the first question you should be asking yourself to identify the best social media site for your business:
Who is your business's target audience (or ideal customer)?
Pre-determining who you plan to sell your product or service to is immensely important before beginning your online marketing efforts as each social media platform has its own unique purpose and typical user demographic. First of all, if your business is a B2C (Business to Customer) or a B2B (Business to Business) model will help determing the social media site you should be using. For instance, according to leading technology provider CDI, two-thirds of B2C marketers say Facebook is the most effective social platform; followed by YouTube (53 percent), Twitter (50 percent) and Instagram (42 percent). Meanwhile, for businesses that sell to other businesses, LinkedIn has long been the preferred channel for marketing, followed by Facebook.
Also of great importance, is the demographic of your target audience, as some social media sites are more popular based on factors such as age, gender, race, and so on. TikTok for example, is typically used by users aged 10-19 and the majority (61%) are females. YouTube on the other hand, is used more by males than females and the typical user is a bit older (18 - 35). Knowing who visits which social media site should play a major role in which one you choose to invest your marketing time and money.
This leads us two the second crucial question to consider when choosing a social media platform to use:
What’s my ultimate goal regarding social media marketing?
Knowing who your target audience is crucial when getting into social media marketing, and so is knowing what your online marketing goals are? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your site? Generate leads, or drive sales directly from your content? Perhaps you have a combination of these goals. Finding the right social media sites may be challenging if you aren't sure what your goals are and what you want to accomplish. Once you've identified your social media goals it will also help to choose a social media site that is best for your business. If your goal is boosting brand awareness, then Facebook may be your best option as it allows you to leverage custom audience groups that align with their target demographic. Alternatively, if your goal is greater engagement with your customers, then Instagram, which has the highest organic engagement rate, might be the best option for you. Or, if educating your audience or a product or service is your primary goal, videos on YouTube are a great way to engage and inform your audience.
Or course what kind of product or service you offer should also determine which social media site you invest your time and money in. For instance, your product or service is best communicated to your audience in image or ,video form, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube may be best for your busforess.
Some additional tips to social media marketing
Once you've chosen which social media platforms you'll be using, here are some tips you may want to follow:
Post consistently and at the right times of day: Aim for 3 - 5 posts a week, and post during times when your audience is most likely using their social media accounts (I recomm10 amTue6 pmy - Friday between 10am - 6pm).
Post varied / engaging / unique content.
Have a close look at what your competitors are doing on their social media sites.
Video is still king on social media, regardlehonest/authenticou use.
Be honest / authentic in your posts
Provide value to your customers in your post: content that helps them in some way or even, provides discounts, contests or giveaways.
Always invite customer feedback and be responsive.
For more assistance on how to choose the best social media platform for your business, a staff member at Fevens Content Design is always available to help.
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