As a business, having and maintaining a social media presence is crucial to remaining visible to potential customers, keeping track of current trends and building your brand online. With so many different platforms available to choose from, knowing which one(s) would work best for your company’s needs can get overwhelming.
Choosing the right social media platform takes research and strategy, but there is a method to help you get the best results. Ask yourself the following questions to help determine whether or not you should be on a particular platform:
How will the number of users affect me?
Knowing the number of users on a particular platform can give you a good idea of the potential visibility you stand to gain, but there are pitfalls to being on a platform with too many users. Don’t just create a Facebook page for your business simply because everyone else is doing it. Other social networks might not be as large, but the audience you build on them might be a lot more loyal. Sometimes less is really more.
Are your customers on the platform?
You need to be where the customers are. If most of your customers use Facebook or Twitter on a regular basis, you need a presence on those platforms. You can research specifics by comparing user demographics of both the platform and your industry. For instance, if your business caters to professionals, having a LinkedIn presence might be beneficial. LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that can give your company visibility with B2B and B2C organizations.
Does your industry already have a presence?
If your industry has a presence on certain platforms, that could mean you already have a number of competitors. Although, it’s never too late to join the game. If your business doesn’t rely heavily on images, like of food, clothing, or architecture, Instagram probably isn’t for you. Likewise, if you’re a plumbing company, Pinterest might not be your best place to market, considering 84% of its users are females, mainly using the site to find inspiration for future purchases. It’s all about marketing the right content on the right platform and the right time.
Weigh Your Options
Consider this:
- Facebook is still the most used platform with 73% of the U.S. adult population being users.
- Twitter is ranked 4th in usage, but will capture attention from a younger, tech-based audience.
- Google+ users are 67% male, and creating and claiming your business’ Google+ page will help your SEO and give you access to a large audience within the Google+ communities.
- LinkedIn’s users are typically professionals, mostly above the age of 35 with dominant categories being technology, finance and manufacturing. Participating in LinkedIn group discussions not only increases awareness of your brand, but also allows you to facilitate a discussion to learn from potential customers around the world.
Create & Engage
One of the most important things to realize when you start using a social media platform is that you must actively engage your audience with interesting content that they would want to share with their followers. You can set up scheduled posting to streamline your activity and save time, so when you post a new blog, it will automatically be posted to your social media platforms. Taking the time to build your social media pages, increase followers and build activity will help position you as a brand authority in your area and help maintain relationships you currently have.
For an example closer to home, ask about our case study to see how ChemTec utilizes LinkedIn to market their company.