Which Social Media Platforms Are Right for Your Business?

Business TalkSeptember 7, 20201,245 Comments04.5k

Social media offers many benefits for your business and can be a great way to grow your audience and engage with them on a personal level. The problem is that you have only a limited amount time to spend on the dozens of social media platforms out there, so you need to choose which of the social media sites you should actually focus on.

The best strategy is to start that will save you have time and prevent overwhelm, is to concentrate on one and then add one or two more as you get to know and understand how they can work for your business. And don’t think that they are only for businesses selling to consumers (B2B) because there is a lot of milage if you are selling to other businesses (B2B) as they too will have business and personal social media sites which they will be regularly checking out.

Here are five of the most popular which are worth you checking out…

Facebook

Facebook is now one the biggest social media platform and it’s popular because it appeals to a wide range of people of all ages and tastes. The site can be a bit daunting at first with all of its features, but get to know your way around and these can help you engage with potential customers and build your following. Start or use your own Facebook Page and then from there, create one for your business.

It’s important to do some research to figure out where your target market are hanging out and to join in Facebook Groups whose members are in your area of expertise and can influence others to engage with you.

Use the givers gain theory which means you must make sure you reach out to help other people first rather than trying to sell to them from the off. And pay attention to get insight from your followers’ profiles and the content they are sharing with others and the questions they’re seeking help on.

Many businesses are successfully running Facebook Ads due to Facebook’s powerful algorithms which can pinpoint a huge range of detailed customer trends, where your customers are geographically, their profile and even look-a-like audiences. And all of this features can be replicated on…

Instagram

Instagram is now owned by Facebook and is a powerful visual social media platform that’s great for sharing photos, moving illustrations and particularly videos. At first you may thinks it’s suited for retail brands that have something visual to share and sell, but don’t be mislead. Study the Instagram platform carefully and you will see that you can share images of your products and services, your customer process methods and popular feedback from your audience.

Once again, the best way to gain exposure is to follow others on the site and comment on their content. In turn, they’ll start to respond back to your and their own followers will see you as well. In addition, hashtags work well to spread brand awareness.

Twitter

Twitter is a great social media platform for micro-blogging as it allows its users to post short, text-based posts of up to 280 characters. In addition, you can also post visual images, photos and videos and it’s a great site for breaking news – hence why it’s popular with politicians.

Used properly, Twitter is a really good social media platform for offering tips and tricks and asking interesting questions to get your audience involved and Tweeting back. Which means you too should be, retweeting and commenting on others’ tweets, and joining trending hashtags. Do this frequently and its a great way to grow your following.

YouTube

YouTube is not merely for watching videos, it’s also a very important social media platform where you can create profiles and channels and interact with others interested in your business story, your product and services.

And although TiKTok is fast growing for people posting their everyday video songs and dances, YouTube is still the number-one go-to site for videos. And it’s therefore an important social media platform that’s owned by Google, to showcase your business brand and grow your audience.

The best way to do this is to create high-value videos and promote them through your YouTube Channel, then take advantage from people who comment. In addition, sharing with other business video creators will help your to get you seen and your ‘voice’ heard.

LinkedIn

Don’t underestimate LinkedIn as a professional showcase and business networking site. LinkedIn’s big draw as a social media platform is for you to connect with other business people, find like-minded business professionals and influencers who can in turn connect you with their network.

You can post short and long-form content, add photos, images and videos, participate in groups, hire people, outsource work, and learn all about your target market through LinkedIn’s Profile Pages. LinkedIn also has a unique referral feature and additional paid for features and adverts.

No matter what target market niche you’re in, the size of your business, or the nature of your customer products and services, you’re sure to be able to find social media sites useful for your business. Just begin slowly, work to a set weekly and daily time schedule and test and measure your progress, especially when using paid for ads.