How to Determine the Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business

Written by Brant Bell@codeimprov10 years ago

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All social media channels are not created equal. It’s important to understand the differences so you can focus your efforts on the right platforms.

Start by defining your audience and understanding your current and potential customers. Group profiles by age, gender, and interests to plan the best ways to promote your product or service. Making an impact by using social media is all about knowing where the gold is for your business.

Let’s look at the biggest social media platforms and how your business might fit:

Facebook

Facebook is the largest social site with over 1 billion active users and it’s shifting its focus from the “social network” to a marketing vehicle for business. Thanks to its wide reach, there’s an audience for every niche and interest imaginable.

The ease of use and familiarity of how Facebook operates allows most businesses to get up and running quickly. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/business

Twitter

Twitter is your business in 140 characters or less. With 560 million active users, businesses that succeed on Twitter have learned to harness the unique platform that revolves around the use of #hashtags.

By using a mixture of original and curated content alongside #hashtags, companies can expand their reach rapidly and to tailored audiences. Twitter is also a viable solution for businesses wishing to handle customer support inquiries in a timely manner. Learn more: https://business.twitter.com/

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is no longer a place to just place your resume and connect with former co-workers; it carries 240 million active users and is the best social site for B2B, Non-Profit, and Industry Networking. There are 3 million Company Pages hosted by small, medium, large, and Fortune 500 companies.

LinkedIn has put an emphasis on sharing/posting content and participating in groups based on common interests. It also retains its grasp on a higher educated and professional user base. Companies wishing to stay top-of-mind in their industry will post both original and curated content to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise. Learn more: http://www.google.com/business/

Pinterest

Pinterest capitalizes on a photo-driven engagement strategy that benefits a mostly female audience — around 70% of the 70 million active users are female. If you have a business geared toward recipes, decorating, crafts, weddings, fashion, or babies, then Pinterest will help you reach a very purchase-oriented and visually-driven audience. Businesses utilize Pinterest ‘boards’ to promote their products, services, and expertise so that an audience can ‘pin’ (share) them with others. Learn more: http://business.pinterest.com/en/get-pinterest-business-guide

Google+

Google+ is the social network built by Google with over 400 million active users. Businesses that are active on Google+ are giving themselves a slight boost in search engine rankings thanks to Google’s built-in SEO integration. Google+ generally features a higher level of engagement and posts that are longer in length than what you’d find on Facebook. Learn more: http://www.google.com/business/

YouTube

YouTube has on average 1 billion views per month. There are currently over 1 million channels with many businesses taking advantage of YouTube being the second-largest search engine behind Google. (Fun fact: Google owns YouTube.)

YouTube is the best platform to showcase a company’s webinars, commercials, tutorials, or product/service walkthroughs. If your business utilizes videos, YouTube is a necessity. Learn more: http://youtube.com/yt/creators/

Instagram

Instagram is dominated by pictures, but by simply applying filters to images a business can give its brand a vintage feel. You can include hashtags (much like Twitter) to promote your brand/product or create contests that revolve around customers uploading their own images, which greatly increases engagement. Instagram has 200 million active users that post 60 million photos daily. Learn more: https://help.instagram.com/505708626120335/

After reading this list which site will best drive traffic to your website?
What original content do you have to offer?

Above all else, make sure you provide value.

Give tips or share information that will solve a problem. If you follow the right path you will be rewarded with new fans, prospective clients, and a definite presence for your brand in the social media world.

With an already strong background in web development & graphic design, Brant started Code Improv because he found a true passion for helping businesses better utilize social media to meet their goals. Whether it's creating a content strategy plan from scratch or refocusing an already existing one, he loves the thrill of helping a client achieve the success they deserve.