It seems like there are hundreds of social media platforms out there. Each week there’s a new one gaining popularity. But you can only focus on so many social media platforms for your business. Which ones should you choose?
It’s not just a matter of which social media platforms are attracting the most users. It’s also about which ones may be around for the longer term and are worth the investment. But mostly, it’s about which social media platforms your target audience is using.
Why Should I Use Facebook for Business?
Facebook has over a billion users every day. That means there’s a good chance that your target audience is among those users. You can reach your users through a free business page on which you can post regular content that your users will enjoy. On top of that, Facebook ads and boosted posts can reach more users than you have followers. It’s a great platform for reaching a large audience all at once.
Facebook has a lot of options for businesses to interact with customers. You can create Facebook groups for your customers to join. You can also host live video feeds, which attract large audiences, to engage your customers. In 2020, Facebook is still a good investment of your time and, if you choose to use Facebook Ads, your money.
Why Should I Use Instagram for Business?
At first glance, Instagram doesn’t necessarily seem like the best social media platform for business. It’s a photo-sharing platform where users can post images and short videos. However, just like Facebook, Instagram has over a billion users each day. That’s a huge audience that you can reach.
Plus, Instagram is an excellent opportunity for your business to literally show your audience your products and services. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Instagram can really help showcase what your company has to offer. Instagram also has recently added a Checkout feature, which allows users to make purchases directly from Instagram if they see products that they like.
Instagram also offers businesses the opportunity to purchase ads that can reach a wider audience than their own followers.
Why Should I Use LinkedIn for Business?
LinkedIn is the best social media platform for companies looking to engage in B2B marketing. If you’re looking for business partners or new B2B customers, it’s the place to be online. It’s possible to reach B2C customers on LinkedIn as well, but unlike other social media platforms, the primary purpose of LinkedIn is for professional and business connections.
That isn’t to say that LinkedIn isn’t a good time investment otherwise. But it can be far more useful for companies that sell to other businesses or who are looking for business opportunities. Most users on LinkedIn are there to network and make professional connections, explore career opportunities, or to learn more about their industry.
Why Should I Use Twitter for Business?
Twitter has lately seen a decline in its total number of users, but don’t discount the platform yet. There are still millions of people who use Twitter and it’s a great tool for businesses to build awareness of their brand. The character limits on posts mean that posts do need to be concise, but you can post links in Tweets, so it can be a valuable tool for sharing content with your customer base.
The marketing strategy for Twitter is a bit different from those for other platforms, however. Depending on your audience, Twitter may require multiple posts per day. It’s important to know what frequency of posts will resonate with your audience because too many Tweets can result in audience disengagement.
Why Should I Use Pinterest for Business?
Pinterest is similar to Instagram in that it is a platform for posting pictures. Small businesses especially have found success on Pinterest. There are almost 300 million active users on Pinterest and most of those are millennials and women age 25 to 54. If your target audience includes those demographics, Pinterest is an excellent choice. However, more and more new users are men, and that number is increasing all the time.
Because it’s image-based, Pinterest offers businesses an excellent opportunity to showcase their products and services visually. You can also invest in ads on Pinterest which, on average, end up producing more profit for businesses per dollar spent than ads on Facebook. If you use the right strategy, Pinterest can drive a lot of traffic towards your website and result in a lot of conversions.
Why Should I Use YouTube for Business?
YouTube is a video sharing platform first and foremost, but it’s also one of the most-used search engines in the world. Anyone looking for video content typically goes straight to YouTube for the search rather than using a traditional search engine. Plus, video content is on the rise. Videos are already the most popular type of content on other social media platforms such as Facebook.
Businesses can use YouTube to offer tutorials, product descriptions, and more that really show your audience what they need to know.