How to Determine the Most Effective Social Media Platforms for Your Business
What a time to be alive! In this age of social media, the gap between business and social life is closing by the years. While a company’s website remains an ideal platform for conducting businesses, social media platforms act as the real virtual market. Many online businesses that rely on SEO to increase their online visibility and market share are now appreciating social media integration into their websites. With some platforms boasting billions of active users each day, there literally could not be a better place to reach clients, build brand awareness, and even boost your Google ranking.
Why social media?
Social media platforms are a source of entertainment for most people. They provide both text, visual, and audio media for interaction. And businesses are taking advantage of this improve their visibility and reach wider markets.
Need to buy a new shoe? Your favorite store has photos of their newest stock on Instagram. Perhaps you are a startup seeking logo and branding services? LinkedIn has an entire page full of competent graphic designers. Maybe you need to know the pros and cons of a particular product before you purchase it? No need to drive to the store, you’ll find a full product review posted on YouTube!
Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses which can hurt or build your online presence. To determine the best platform for your business, ask yourself these 3 questions as proposed by SEO San Diego:
- What kind of business am I in?
The type of social media platform you need has to cater to your type of business. This helps you get your footing. You could be running a B2B business, a B2C, or both. You could also be selling services, tangible products or even both!
LinkedIn is best for B2B businesses as it possesses a stronger command of professionals compared to the rest. It also has its own blogging platform which favors businesses that sell services. Facebook on the other hand is best for B2C businesses as it encourages customer interaction. Its media versatility also favors businesses selling both services and tangible products. Instagram on the other hand favors highly visual businesses such as those running a clothing or electronic store.
- Do you know your audience profile?
Merely posting your products or services won’t just cut it. People ignore posts that do not resonate with them. As a general rule, whatever you post should be for your audience, not you. Create your audience profile by knowing:
- Exactly who makes up your audience?
- What content do they seem to appreciate more?
- What interests them?
- What are the demographics of your market?
This information helps to better tailor your marketing strategies to the audiences in the various platforms as well as maximizing any pay-per-click (PPC) ads.
- What marketing goals do you have in mind?
One business may utilize social media to gain more followers. Another will utilize it to generate leads while another will want to build brand loyalty by sharing their expertise in the field. Facebook and Instagram would better suit B2C businesses seeking to gain more followers. LinkedIn would better serve B2B businesses that seek to generate leads. Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook are perfect for businesses seeking to build brand loyalty.
